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Family traditions
Simple ways to make your holidays special and memorable
by Bonnie Schiedel

Hear the words “holiday traditions” and you may think of painstakingly organizing a horse-drawn sleigh ride, covering every square inch of your home with cedar boughs, and forcing the kids into patent shoes and velvet jackets. (Yikes!) Fortunately, your own family traditions don’t have to be elaborate and fussy. In fact, it’s probably better if they aren’t.

Remember rituals

“We often think that the big splashy toys and trips will be memorable, but in reality children remember the silly uncomplicated things,” notes Susan Newman, a social psychologist and author of Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Child Feel Special Every Day (Random House/Crown). “Traditions are important to kids, because they give a feeling of security. They are the glue that keeps families together and happy.”

The key to traditions

When you’re starting a tradition, think small and spontaneous. Sure, a certain amount of planning is required to make a ritual happen year after year, but if it’s feeling forced, or your kids have outgrown it, quietly discontinue it.  

Talk about the traditions too. For example, when you’re cooking, ask your children, “remember the time the dog stole the latkes off the stove?” When you’re decorating together, talk about who gave you that silly ornament of the pig playing the piano.

Keep it simple

Traditions are essential in Candice Cooper’s family. “The day after Thanksgiving, we put the holiday music on and decorate the house. It’s a special family day,” says the Cobden, IL, mom of two daughters, 5 and 11. One cherished tradition is a paper chain made especially for Christmas. Every night at bedtime, the girls remove one link from their own Christmas chain that hangs on their bedroom door. “It helps us count down to Christmas,” says Candice.

Create excitement

Keep the season special. For example, store the holiday movies with the decorations so your kids aren’t tempted to watch them throughout the year. Then when you do watch them, it’s something different and exciting, rather than just another movie, says Candice.

Traditions in the making

“The secret ingredient is repetition,” notes Newman. “So it’s important to choose something that the grownups will like as well as the kids.” Here are a few more ideas to get you started:
• Have a pancake breakfast — or dinner
• Play a fun board game on a particular day of the holiday season
• Take a walk around the neighborhood to see the lights
• Throw an impromptu “make your own ice cream sundae” party, just for your    family

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