Life Rituals: Not Your Traditional Traditions

Most of the activities on my Family Traditions list are Traditions of Celebration. That is they mark a holiday, season or event that we want to remember, to celebrate.

However, the last section "Any Time/All the Time" begins my thoughts on Life Rituals. These are the things we do day-to-day, week-to-week that define our family. They create the sense of belonging and security for our kids. Children thrive when they know what to expect and what is expected of them. Many of our Life Rituals create that balance in our families.

Here's some ideas for Life Rituals.

Every Day Connections

• Pray for each family member by name
• Morning snuggle & dream review
• Weekly calendar check
• Dinner together as a family atleast 4 times a week
• Call Dad at work
• I love you because ...
• Kiss good-bye; kiss hello
• Special hugs
• Long distance dinner
• Special kisses: Eskimo, butterfly, puppy
• Family trivia/quiz
• Learn each family member's Love Language and make efforts to show love to him/her that way

Bedtime

• Special "good night"
• Journal
• Sing lullabies
• Read Bible stories
• Bedtime prayers
• Routine, routine, routine

Weekends

• Go to church on Sundays
• Tour de Swingsets
• Check into a local hotel
• Stay in jammies all day
• Backyard campout
• Pizza & game night or movie night
• Movie marathon

Nature

• Picnic in park without a playground
• Planting a garden
• Visit the local farmers market
• Create a backyard habitat
• Star gazing
• Cloud gazing
• Catch (and release) bugs or other small critters

Neighbors

• Front yard dates
• Babysitting exchange
• Progressive dinner
• Block party
• Welcome cookies
• Halloween ghosting

Community

• Take your kid with you to vote
• Angel Tree or other Christmas adoption/gift giving
• Go to local parades
• Take food to Community Food Pantry
• Volunteer together: nursing home, shelter, roadside/park clean up

Global Thinking

• Globe spin research
• Ethnic food night
• Family pen pal
• Exploration walk in Spanish (or other language)
• Adopt a child in another country through Compassion International

Just for Mom

• Get a massage/facial/pedicure
• Magazine Sunday
• Candlelight bath
• Hobby night
• Mom's night out
• Library time
• Movies all alone
• Journal
• "I'm running away"

What about you? Do you have a special life ritual that enriches your family life?

A Year of Family Traditions

The holidays are quickly approaching, and that has me thinking about Family Traditions. I put this list together a few years ago when giving a presentation on traditions. Our family has tried most of the things on this list. Some are now traditions. Some did not take. The great thing about family traditions, they're a choice, not an obligation.

New Year's Day

• Set family goals/resolutions for the year
• Look at scrapbooks/photo albums from the last year
• Eat black eyed peas
• Watch football

Valentine's Day

• "I love you" Week - do little special things for each other each day leading up to Valentine's
• Make Valentines together for friends and family
• Heart shaped food - pancakes, sandwiches, cookies, etc.

Easter

• Make overnight cookies that tell the Easter story
• Make confetti eggs
• Easter Story Eggs
• Egg hunt

Spring

• Visit Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum
• Pictures in the blue bonnets
• Welcome spring walk

Memorial Day

• Put out an American Flag
• Make cards and care packages to send to troops
• Have a cook out with friends & family

Summer

• Take a family trip
• Spend evenings outside
• Catch fireflies
• Plant a garden each family member gets to pick a vegetable to plant
• Go on a summer rain walk
• Go pick blueberries

July 4th

• Go to local Independence Day Parade
• Cook out with friends & family
• Go watch fireworks (or stay in & watch the Washington, DC fireworks on t.v.)

Fall

• Go to the state fair
• Go to the zoo
• Visit the Dallas Arboretum
• Go to a pumpkin patch
• Go on a nature walk & collect leaves
• Do leaf rubbings
• Go to a fall festival together
• Collect food for local food pantry

Thanksgiving

• Pull the wishbone
• Watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade
• Say a special prayer
• Share favorite recipes with friends
• Light "Thank You" candles
• Go to a shelter and serve dinner
• Make a Thank You wreath by having everyone write down what they are thankful for on a fall leaf shape and attaching them to a grapevine wreath
• Have a posterboard up near the door the week before Thanksgiving and have everyone (even guests) write something they are thankful for everytime they come into the house.

Christmas

• Picture with Santa Claus
• Have an Advent calendar to count down the days til Christmas
• Write letters to Santa
• Get a personal elf
• Go to a Christmas tree farm and cut down a fresh tree
• Watch Christmas specials on t.v. (Be careful, not all are appropriate for young children)
• Make ornaments
• Go to Christmas shows at church or in the community
• Visit McKinney Square for Dickens of a Christmas
• Have a Tree Trimming Party
• Get a new Christmas book each year
• Write a letter to each child from Santa recognizing growth & accomplishments during the year
• The Three Gifts - each child gets three significant gifts, one from Santa and two from Mom & Dad, reminding them of the gifts the wisemen brought to Jesus.
• In early December, go through toys and books with kids to pick out items to donate to a shelter. Take kids with you to drop off the donation.
• Pick an Angel Tree child the same age as your child and let your kid do the shopping
• Attend a Christmas Eve service
• Go look at Christmas lights
• Make setting out the Nativity scene an event
• Buy a special ornament for each family member each year
• Listen to Christmas music all month long
• Read the Christmas story from the Bible
• Have an Advent wreath at home and light a new candle each week
• Keep a memory book

Birthdays/Gotcha Days

• Fill the day with the child's favorite activities
• Decorate the cake together
• Have a special plate for the birthday meal
• Give a birthday minute kiss
• Say a blessing prayer
• Tie a ribbon on a tree or have a sign for the neighbors to see

Special Meals

• New Years - black eyed peas
• Super Bowl Sunday - Chili
• Birthdays - birthday kid's favorite meal
• 4th of July - Anything on the grill
• Christmas Eve - tamales & tortilla soup
• Christmas morning - waffles
• Family reunion - barbeque

Any Time/All the Time

• Sing a good morning song
• Read bedtime stories
• Say bedtime prayers
• Ask "What was the best part of the day?"
• Messages in chalk on the driveway or sidewalk
• Great big hugs and itty bitty hugs
• One-on-one dates with Mom or Dad
• Date night for Mom & Dad
• SHMILY's (See How Much I Love You)
• Decorate the house for each season/holiday/celebration

So, what's your favorite Family Tradition?