Family Rituals and Traditions You Can Start Right Now
If you ask someone about their favorite family traditions, and they may say opening gifts on birthdays, afternoons spent in the kitchen, or spending time with their siblings. Establishing family rituals and traditions help to develop a sense of identity and belonging. Traditions help us bond with the people we care about.
Why Family Rituals and Traditions Are Important
Rituals and traditions bring meaning to otherwise ordinary celebrations. These create positive memories for children who thrive in warmth and love shared with family members. Traditions also help strengthen connections from one generation to another. And the best part — traditions do not need to be expensive. Here are some examples of family rituals and traditions that you can start right now. Currey Ingram Academy, an ADHD Boarding School, hopes that some of these tips may inspire you to create traditions of your own.
Have family theme nights. Friday could be Pizza Night, Saturday could be Movie Marathon and Pajamas Night, and Sunday could be Game Board Night. Mix it up and have fun!
Commit to one-on-one time. Set a one-on-one time with each child. Prepare an afternoon snack in the kitchen, ask how his or her day went, or just snuggle on the couch.
Take annual family photos. Document how much they’ve grown each year. Send them out as holiday cards.
Bake together. Come up with your own version of chocolate chip cookies, or try to bake grandma’s signature cake.
Celebrate their coming of age. Plan an activity with your child to mark the next stage of their lives.
Make bedtime special. Read a bedtime story every night, or nurture their imagination and create your own.
Come up with secret codes. Invent a special fist bump or a unique handshake that means “I love you,” – something only family members could understand.
Indulge them with birthday treats. The celebrator gets to choose what the activities will be during his or her special day.
Set regular arts and crafts sessions. Bring out the crayons, watercolors, and brushes and get ready to color, paint, and create.
Come up with a gratitude list. Come Thanksgiving, ask everyone in the family to come up with a list of people and things they are thankful for.
Hide notes in random places for them to discover. Leave sticky notes inside the cover of a book, on top of a desk, or under a pillow – just to remind them how much you appreciate them.
You could take family rituals and traditions with you wherever you go, even if you move to another city. These will help your children adjust to their new home.
If you are looking for an ADHD boarding school in Tennessee, get in touch with Currey Ingram Academy. Its ADHD Summer Treatment Program (STP) is only one of 15 in the country. An intensive six-week program for students ages 8 to 12 with ADHD, each day includes outdoor play and games, social skills work, academic time, and more.