Photo of Chumasande Matiwane

Little traditions, big memories: Ideas for young families

Family traditions do not have to involve elaborate celebrations, expensive holidays or perfectly planned occasions. Often, the traditions children remember most are the simple rituals that happen repeatedly.

Also see: Understanding how dementia changes family life  

Starting traditions while your family is young can create a sense of belonging and give everyone something to look forward to.  

Psychology Today notes these as some of the easy-to-maintain meaningful family traditions worth introducing. 

A special weekend breakfast

Choose one morning each weekend for a family breakfast. It could be pancakes, homemade waffles, eggs on toast or whatever your family enjoys. 

Let the children eventually help prepare the meal, choose the menu or set the table. As they grow, breakfast can become a relaxed opportunity to catch up without phones or other distractions. 

An annual family photo

Take a family photograph at roughly the same time every year. You could choose a favourite location, wear matching colours or simply take the photo at home. 

Over time, you will have a visual record of how everyone has changed. What begins as a simple picture can become a treasured family archive. 

Also see: Helpful ways to navigate strained family relationships

Birthday traditions

Birthdays are an easy opportunity to create traditions that children can carry into adulthood. Perhaps the birthday person chooses dinner, gets a special breakfast or selects a family activity. You could also start a tradition where everyone writes down their favourite memory of the birthday person and keeps the notes in a box. 

Yearly adventures

You do not need to travel far to make an annual adventure memorable. These could be a trip to see the grandparents in a different province. Yearly adventures usually happen in December when everyone is free from work and school duties. The destination can change, but the tradition remains with your family. 

The best family traditions are usually the ones that are easy enough to maintain. What matters to your kids is consistency and connection.

Also see: Seputla Sebogodi’s family alleged clash over burial site divides SA

Featured image: Pexels

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