Family traditions are sacred ways of cherishing quality time together, especially during the holiday season. It’s what adults look back upon as fond memories of the good old days and what children grow up looking forward to with anticipation each and every year. Family traditions are well worth implementing, even if you haven’t done so yet with your own kids. This time of year is the perfect time to start a new holiday tradition with your family. Here’s how!
Put Family Time First
In an ever-increasing world of busyness, over-scheduling and endless distractions, quality family time can quickly fall by the wayside. That’s why it’s important to make family time a priority. Implementing family traditions during the holiday season is a wonderful way for families to reconnect over this special time and refocus on family matters such as interpersonal communication, building stronger bonds together, and just getting to know each other more intimately.
Find and Explore Your Family’s Identity
Family traditions are a way to generate memories and create experiences that can be shared over time. Start with discussing and identifying what your family relates to most: music, sports, nature, art? Explore what interesting options are available to you and find a good fit for your family. If your family identifies strongly with music, consider a special night out to your favorite holiday musical or even better, create a holiday musical production of your own. If your family loves art, visit a local art gallery to see the latest exhibit, have an annual holiday painting party, or get crafty and create your own holiday decorations. If you are a family that likes to be outside, attend your town’s Christmas tree lighting, lighted boat parade if you’re one the coast, or any other outdoor activities centered around the holidays. (Image Source: Clearwater Holiday Lighted Boat Parade)
Get the Kids Involved
Be sure to allow the kids to be involved beyond just the actual participation of the family tradition. Be open to their insight, listen to their suggestions, and let them have a voice in the decision-making—as well as in the planning and implementation of the tradition. It should be as enjoyable for them as it is for you. Just because you had a favorite holiday tradition with your family growing up doesn’t mean that your kids will find it as sentimental or special as you did. Respect their input.
Be Open-Minded and Creative
Put your collective heads together and keep an open mind to what everyone has to say. You want everyone in the family interested and invested in this new-found family tradition and you’d like it to be successful and enjoyable for years to come. It’s an ideal opportunity to learn more about cooperation and compromise, right? Right!
Choose Ideas That Promote Interaction and Communication
Your family tradition would be best if it allowed for interaction with each other. A family movie night out might not be a great choice unless it goes beyond the actual movie watching in the theater. That doesn’t allow for much of anything except for you all to be sitting in the same room together for a period of time. Couple it with dessert and discussion, while everyone in the family gives a short review of the film, and you’re on the right track. You want experiences that allow encourage communication and connection with each other. The more interactive, the better!
Carry on the Time-Honored Tradition for Years to Come
Your goal is to create a treasured, time-honored tradition that spans the test of time. It may evolve or morph as the years go on, but ultimately you want your family to have something to look forward to next time and something to look back upon fondly as time marches on. Exactly how you do that, is up to you and your family. That is the essence of what makes your family tradition its own. Make is the best reflection of your family, and you can’t go wrong.
Are you looking to start a new holiday tradition with your family on the Gulf Coast of Florida? We can help give you some ideas on holiday events and outings your family might enjoy this time of year. Check out our previous post entitled Holiday Events You Need to Know About on Florida’s Gulf Coast and see if any of them are of interest to you and your family. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to a new holiday tradition of your very own.
Cheers to quality time with loved ones, cherished family traditions and memories to last a lifetime this holiday season!
What holiday traditions do you and your family look forward to each and every year? We’d really love to hear about them! Our comment section is always open.
