Times are different right now. Now, more than ever, keeping any degree of normalcy and stability can be especially meaningful. What can we do to honor the activities that have always stayed the same—our family traditions?
While we may not be able to go door-to-door caroling every night this December, we can honor that tradition by caroling in our home in front of an open window for all passersby to hear—keeping us safe while honoring tradition.
Some family traditions can continue to flourish—such as painting seasonal cookies with your children or cozying up with hot cocoa and a holiday movie.
We can also create new family traditions during this unprecedented time that have nothing to do with the holidays. It could be a tradition that is unique—such as making homemade ice cream together or collecting items from nature together to decorate our homes.
Family traditions are different for everybody. They also hold varying levels of importance for different people. As we focus this month on honoring family traditions, it may be helpful to consider what a family tradition means to you. What do you want them to mean for your children?
We can also use this as a time of reflection and take this opportunity to focus on what really fills our souls—like spending quality time with loved ones or engaging in meaningful activities with them. Digging deeper into ourselves will allow us to finely tune family traditions—new and old—to better serve us and our families.
Ashley O is a member of the California Parent Leadership Team®. Her favorite family tradition is looking at all of the beautiful holiday lights with her little ones. This year, they plan to honor this family tradition from the comfort of their car!