BUILDING FAMILY TRADITIONS

Family traditions can form an important part of your little one’s childhood. Here we look at how to pass on traditions, new and old.

With the holiday season upon us, lots of people will turn to family traditions that feel like they’ve been around forever. These traditions are often brimming with nostalgia and centre around spending quality time with your loved ones. Whether they’ve been passed down for generations or they're newly created by you and your partner, family traditions are a wonderful way to make long-lasting memories and show children that they’re part of something special.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

There are some things that you should take into consideration when looking to start a new family tradition. Doing so will ensure that this new tradition sticks and truly becomes part of your rich family tapestry. One of the main reasons that family traditions stop is that they no longer resonate with the next generation.

Do it your way

Lots of us live our lives in quite a different way to how our parents did and hold different values close to heart. These values are at the core of any tradition and, naturally, a different set of values calls for a different set of traditions. You don’t necessarily have to ignore past traditions if you can adapt them to fit with how you and your family do things, but it is important to uphold traditions that are reflective of your own family’s value system.

Keep it simple

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that family traditions need to be extravagant or spectacular events. While some pomp and ceremony is always lovely to get involved in, the real love, cherished memories and genuine connection with your family come in the simpler moments.

Don’t force it