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Family Holiday Traditions
Passing Down Family Traditions to Your Children
By Marjorie Sims
Passing the Torch
Although children often act disinterested, they are absorbing those things that will carry them through to adulthood. "My middle child was strictly a jock, but it is now he who is carrying on traditions in his home," Rout says. "For instance, I have given him a fire truck each Christmas since he was born, whether it was one to play with when he was very small, or an ornament or throw for his room as he got older. I was so pleased to learn recently that he has started a tradition in his own family of giving his wife a carousel horse each Christmas." My son Tiger summarizes the deep roots of tradition in our home: "Things just wouldn't seem right if we didn't do the things we always do," he says.
A good recipe for passing down traditions includes the following:
- Fun: This is a must. Kids will bail if fun is not part of the ritual.
- Frequency: Repetition is what makes a tradition a tradition.
- Flexibility: Allow the tradition to grow with your child. When your son becomes too cool for the bedtime hug, give a "high-five" instead.
- Simplicity: Keep at least a few traditions so simple they can be done on a shoestring. Banishing chores on birthdays, for instance, doesn't cost a cent.
So if you find yourself inspired with a new idea for your family as the year draws to a close, go ahead and do it. You just might start a tradition.
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