we have mentioned many times… we are a family of many traditions.
from back to school fashion shows to pumpkin carving parties and “fancy” valentine’s dinners to Christmas eve talent shows… just to name a few.
and now that we are at the beginning of a new year
i think it’s the perfect time to decide and plan on new traditions to start!
for a few years now i’ve wanted to start one on one dates with my kids, but i just keep putting it off.
well this is the year and i’m so excited and i know my kids are going to be too. my husband and i will switch off each month and take one of our kids out on a date. whose ever turn it is to go out that month will plan what they want to do together. so i’m sure when dad’s taking one of the boys out it’ll be to some sort of sporting event and when i’m taking my daughter out pedicures are sure to be involved, but hopefully in the process we’ll learn more about each other and grow closer together. (we’ll see :))
i think some of the best traditions are those that don’t have to do with any holiday.
like last year our uncle steve started enchilada day.
a couple different kinds of delicious enchiladas + family = the perfect day
[mel’s kitchen cafe – creamy green chile chicken enchiladas]
. . .
wouldn’t it be fun to have kickball day?
trust me if you haven’t played in awhile… it’s not just for kids… it’s a blast!! 🙂
. . .
one of my kids’ favorite traditions is tuesday treat day. every tuesday when either i, or my friend steph that i carpool with, pick up the kids we either bring them a treat or run them to get a quick ice cream cone. let me tell you they do NOT forget when it is tuesday!! i don’t know that they’ll ever let me stop tuesday treat day either. it’ll be interesting to see if i’ll be taking a car load of high schoolers one day for tuesday treat day. (i hope so)
. . .
do you have any ideas for new traditions this year?
have any non-holiday traditions your family loves?
i really would love to hear about them!!
(please!!)
Natalie says
I love the idea of celebrating everything! I'm also probably going to steal treat tuesday when my daughter is older.
Patti says
Every Christmas my sister's, & now our 2 nieces too, attend Christmas Tea at their church.
Both our boys' are grown & moved out, so we are starting the tradition this year of Family Dinner one Sunday every month! Can't wait for this Sunday!
Belinda says
We've been dating our three kids since they were little guys. They are 20, 18 and 15… and we're still dating them. Thursday is Date Day on my blog, and I list a new date for parent and child. You are going to love your dates with the kiddos… and so will they!
Wednesday is Seasonal Tradition day on the blog. I love traditions, too! One of our favorites… The kids' Christmas stockings have turned into movie stockings the past six years. We put a $10 RAVE movie gift certificate, their favorite giant candy bar, a sucker (and a few other little things) into their stocking. The day AFTER Christmas when a lot of kids (and parents) are feeling a little let down, we head to a new or favorite restaurant and a pre-selected movie we all voted to see.
It's one of the things we look forward to each and every year!
Colette says
My most favorite tradition in our family is our annual scrapbook page exchange. Each family creates a page to represent their family that year – then we duplicate the pages and exchange so we all have fabulous family albums. We do the exchange at Christmas time instead of exchanging gifts, but it's something I think about all year. 🙂 I did a post on my blog with some of our recent pages.
http://www.mycomputerismycanvas.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-favorite-christmas-tradition.html
Thanks for posting about traditions – I love to find new ones too!
Colette
pineconegirl says
One of our favorite traditions evolved from the fact that my boy's birthday is only two weeks after Christmas. We have a small two foot tall lighted tree that
I didn't get put away before his birthday, so I undecorated theh red and gold and redecorated with bows, birthday picks, streamers, etc. Now without fail we have a birthday tree and the birthday gifts go under it. It sits in our dining room and adds to the birthday party flair. We then have another birthday two weeks from the boy's and then another two weeks after that – so this helps keep the fun going.
Kerri says
My 3rd grader and I go to breakfast at McDonalds every Thursday morning before school. We just started it this year, his idea, and I love that it's our special morning together.
Anonymous says
Whenever one of my kids has an appointment or we are out with just one of them. We make a special stop. Lately it has been Seattles Best for a very yummy and special hot chocolate.
We live close to Lake Michigan – so after our last beach day and right before school we stop for a special "Gone Fishing" Sundae at a local ice cream shop (ice cream, blue slush, gummy fish, whip cream and an umbrella). It is a way to celebrate the great summer we just had!!
theolivetree says
we have dessert parties…all family members bring dessert 😉
Jen says
The best tradition we ever started was the memory jar. We throw in movie tickets, left over hotel keys, concert tickets, sea shells from our sons first beach trip . . along with folded up pieces of card stock that we write our favorite memories, quotes, something funny our son said, something memorable our son did . . etc. into a mason jar throughout the entire year. Then we open the mason jar on New Years Eve as a way to look back through the year and remember. Then we put them in a big envelope and save them forever. 🙂
Courtney Elizabeth says
When I was in high school, my friend's dad would take us to get frozen yogurt every Wednesday when he would pick us up. We loved it!
Shaela says
What fun traditions!! We are a family of many, many traditions as well. Most of them center around holidays though. One of my favorite non-holiday traditions (from my own childhood, that we now carry on) is that whenever we take a roadtrip/vacation we have chocolate milk and donuts for breakfast – GOURMET donuts, lol. It's usually the only time we splurge on real, donut-house donuts and we let the kids eat and drink in the car. It's a lot of fun and everyone looks forward to it. 🙂
Emilie says
Our family has a yearly holiday. The 3nd Wednesday in March is 'Ahern Annual Flip Flop Day' where the entire family buys flip-flops for the coming Summer. Stores have just got their stock in so the selection is good! We have done this tradition for 8 years now and we love it!
Carrie - A Sweet Spot: Home says
Oh my gosh, Tuesday after school is Treat Day for us, too! A trip to McDonald's after school for an ice cream cone is just as exciting for Mom who gets her big Diet Coke! 🙂
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
I started a tradition when my daughter was born in 1996…every year at Christmas we give her a special Christmas book. She now has 16 books in her Christmas collection. This tradition has meant that we now have a collection of Christmas books that we have read every year since she can remember and she can take these memories with her to adulthood and share the books with her own children some day. My son was born in 2001 and have the same tradition with both children…he has 10 books in his collection so far! You can read more about our tradition and see our collection here:
http://www.applevalleygirl.blogspot.com/2011/12/gift-of-special-book-at-christmas.html
Happy New Year Ladies! Angie xo
Ange says
We started Fun Friday sometime last year. We usually play a game or get a treat or bake a treat. Anything we think is fun that day!Although we've taken a slight break due to the holiday fun.
We'll be starting back up this Friday with a plane trip..they are going to love the doodle bags I've put together for them for the flight!
Vonnie X says
Hi Ladies
we tried this, with friends and family this year. It was an adult only cast so the kids had so much fun seeing uncles in dress.
http://yvonnebyattsfamilyfun.blogspot.com/2010/11/lets-put-on-panto-family-night.html
Little Wonders' Days says
I think family traditions are so important! Your ideas are great. When my son started kindergarten we started "Fun Fridays" as a way to reconnect and do some of the fun stuff we did before he was gone all day, everyday. That was 2 years ago and we still do it! This link is to a post that explains a little more, http://littlewondersdays.blogspot.com/2011/08/back-to-school-fall-friday-fun.html
projectdowhatyoulove says
What a great idea! Also I love the fashion show idea, so cute! ha ha ha Thanx for sharing!
Natalie
http://www.projectdowhatyoulove.wordpress.com
Darcy Anne says
We have lots of routines, and a busy schedule but we don't have any weekly traditions. I am absolutely disappointed in myself about it too!! I love traditions we have quite a few for holidays and birthdays but I am going to find one (or five) for the weeks and months!! Thank you for the inspiration!! I love Tuesday treat day!!
Lisa says
Hooray for all the everyday celebrations! Some of the non-holiday traditions we have: celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday (March 2) with green eggs and ham for dinner and some book reading; Thursday/King Day — each Thursday, one person is king and gets to choose what's for dinner and the bedtime stories; Wacky Wednesdays — breakfast for dinner, colored milk, silly switch ups, etc.; and celebrate the boys' half-birthdays with a dessert and candle.
brudcrew says
During the blah month of January we plan a family Luau. We decorate the house, eat Hawaiian haystacks off of topical patterned plates, have coconut cups, drink icy drinks, put on swimming suits and leis, play pin the coconut on the palm tree, and the little ones go surfing on the folded ironing board while mom and dad rock the waves!
Anonymous says
I have a 4 year old daughter and for the past 6 months we have had Cafe Rio/Library night. It is fun to go out to dinner at our favorite place and then go pick out library books to read for the next couple of weeks. When the books are due, we do it again! It keeps us on a good reading schedule and we get good food too!
simona says
Since my family has always been very close, it's very hard for me to live in a different continent (we skype everyday, but it's hard to hug over the computer). So we look forward to seeing each other again so much, that we collect presents all the time for the first day we're reunited again. That first evening we will all sit together and take turns giving each other presents. This might not sound exciting for outsiders, but it became a lovely and treasured tradition for us.
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dating in london says
In our house we have pizza wednesday, a night for pizza and a film, i dont have to do much cooking and me, hubby and kids sit and eat together and watch a film at home, it's a treat for us all and some chill time together. We also have our favourite parks to visit, feeding the ducks and walking the dog, sometimes it's a combination of all three, but it's great quality time, excercise, fresh air and time together. everything the family needs.
meredith says
love love family traditions – we do lots around the holidays but my favorite of all is Snuggle Saturday's – everyone climbs into our bed and we snuggle and decide what we will all make for breakfast and do that day.
Birthday traditions include painted front doors and balloons on the floor of their rooms. http://www.thatsmykindofparty.com/2012/01/tuesday-traditions.html