How to Begin a Family Tradition

Do some of your childhood memories involve family traditions? Would you like to pass new traditions on to your children? Family traditions are easy to start; it’s the consistent follow through required to carry them on that is difficult.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Sit down and talk with your family about what they would like to do or begin as a tradition. The responses may be as simple as, “every year preparing the same food for a certain holiday”, or, “going to the same camping spot every summer.”

2. After you’ve agreed on what you’d like to carry on as a tradition, make a plan. It is much to easy when you’re in the moment to say, “This is great, and we’ll do it every year,” but when the time comes it can be difficult to follow through without a plan in place.

3. Enlist some help if the new family tradition involves more than two people. You may need assistance coordinating it, cooking for it, paying for it and finalizing it.

4. When the time draws near to begin setting up the event, do not procrastinate. Make the reservations well in advance; buy whatever food items you’ll need a week early, not the night before or the day of event. Send invitation out well in advance so everyone can attend.

5. On the day or at the occasion of the tradition, celebrate it. Announce that you are so excited to be a part of the family tradition and look forward to the next one. Make it known that this is a special event, food, vacation spot or whatever the tradition is. Have everyone involved celebrate with you.

6. As you carry on the tradition, each year or each time it is fulfilled will make the next occasion even easier. Everyone will begin to look forward to it. They will talk about it and encourage the follow through. They may even volunteer to help.

[amylaine]

on 3/18/2008 Great ideas. Thanks.