How important are family traditions to you and your family? In my family, they are significant and passed down from generation to generation. As a mom keeping and creating those moments is a part of motherhood. They bring meaning to celebrations and nurture bonds in a family. Being able to pass on and make memories with my son carries on the memories of those who are no longer with us.

Traditions create positive experiences and memories for your family that can last for generations. Everyone has family traditions, and if you don’t, it can start with you. Everyone is so busy these days, including me, but the holidays are coming, and I always get sentimental around the holidays. In my family, we have created and carried on traditions for as long as I can remember. Some of them phased out, but others will never end.

I come from an Italian family, and although we don’t see each other much, we still carry on the traditions that my grandma passed down to us. We have had to change it up these past few years due to COVID, but we made it work. I didn’t start to appreciate our family traditions after my grandma passed. Once she passed, all of those original traditions seemed to die with her. My father and his sisters do their best to keep them alive, but we kids are all grown up with kids of our own, so we had to adapt to a new way of carrying on what grandma instilled in us.

Why Family Traditions Are Important

The habits we created provide each family member with comfort, security, and connection to being a part of the family. It provides a source of identity and gives them values that hold dear to your children. I still remember the huge Christmas Eve dinner my grandma had at her house every year. It is one of the traditions that my family has carried on.

There are also everyday routines that get instilled in our children and us. One of mine is that we all have dinner together every night. My father was insistent on everyone being home for dinner. I didn’t realize it then, but now I do the same thing. It gives us time as a family to talk, laugh and bond together.

Family traditions work together with a family’s values to form a family dynamic. It gives children values and respect for their family and culture. It also supports their emotional well-being and development. With that said, traditions can be started and stopped at any time. That is all up to you and your family. If something isn’t working, change it.

When you carry on traditions, it reminds everyone in your family that they are a part of a bigger story. If you choose to tell your kids what that bigger story pick and choose what you tell them. Sharing memories during a family get-together creates an opportunity for you to connect with your family. It also gives your kids insights into where those traditions came from and why they are so important. Carrying on a legacy, no matter how big or small, can significantly impact the lives they lead.

Some of my family traditions

Creating memories with my son is so important because, as a working mama, I don’t get to spend as much time with him as I would like. To combat that, I make the most of the time I spend with him by creating fun family days. Remember, it doesn’t have to be big to make an impact.

• Every Fall we go apple and pumpkin picking at our favorite farm.
• Thanksgiving we spend the day cooking and putting up the Christmas Tree. My little guy loves making this stuffing that was passed down from my husband’s grandma.
• Christmas Eve is spent with my side of the family where he gets to see his cousins. This is a special day because it brings back memories from my own childhood.
• On Christmas day we wake up early and open presents and spend the day with family.
• In the spring we always take a day or two off to have family fun days. We go to amusement parks or museums it all depends on the year.
• In the summer we always do take time at the end to go spend a day at the beach or at a waterpark as a family.

If you are looking for ideas on fun family traditions to start, go to parents.com. They have some good ones to get you started. The one that I like most is the secret sign for “I love you.” I think I am going to start now before my son gets to the age where he is embarrassed when I say I love you in front of his friends.

Final Thoughts

Often the family traditions you have can feel like the only thing keeping us together. So much can change overnight. Blended families, divorce, single parents, and tragedy can destroy those traditions, or can they? That is up to the family. It might not look the same, but those cherished traditions that link to our past generations can be modified to fit your life. Remember, there are no set rules. You are in the driver’s seat, no matter what you choose to carry and how your choice is.

If you are looking to learn more parenting tips be sure to check out all things Parenting.