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RESEARCH FINDS SIMPLE RITUALS ARE WHAT CREATE THE BEST FAMILY MEMORIES
By Michele Borba | July 22, 2006
Did you know that research shows that doing simple rituals enhances our feelings of togetherness and family belonging by almost 20 percent?
I loved reading that research because it proves that SIMPLE things we do with our kids on a regular basis not only work best but also (let’s get real on this one) are what our kids often remember most. We get so darn caught up in trying to “do it all” or spend money on the fancy outings or vacations.
I don’t know if you got the memo, but this weekend is National Parenting Day. It may be a good time to stop and ask what you’re doing to preserve memories of your times together for your kids. Or another way of looking at it: Pretend it’s twenty years from now and you’re at your family reunion. The kids are talking about your family memories. What would they be saying about your memories?
I started asking moms to pass on some simple, no-cost secrets they use to create happy memories. Here are a few simple no cost-ideas they shared with me:
1. Nighttime rituals: read a nighttime story; remind each other of the best part of the day; give hugs and kids goodnight.
2. Special greetings and ways to say “I love you”: rub noses for an “Eskimo kiss”; create your own family funny hugs.
3. Celebration of successes: hang a flag on the front door when something special has happened to a family member; use a “fancy” plate at the table when a family member has done something to deserve recognition.
4. Birthday memories: each family member chooses his or her favorite birthday dinner menu, cake, outing, and song to be piped through the household as a birthday “wake-up” call. Some families even hang the family member’s shirt on a flagpole or broomstick stuck in the front lawn to let the world (or at least the neighborhood) know it’s that person’s special day.
5. Frivolous fun: fly kites on Groundhog’s Day; play practical jokes on April Fools day.
6. Sports and outdoors: go fishing on Father’s Day; be diehard Giants fans together; go berry-picking every spring; have relay races and egg tosses at family picnics
7. Volunteering and service projects: bake an extra turkey for Mrs. Jones at Thanksgiving; serve Christmas Eve dinner at the homeless shelter or help out at another, less “popular” time of year. Make a commitment to help a favorite charity as a family once a week or month.
8. Enjoy each other’s company. Spread a rug or towel on your living room floor and gather the troops, serve simple sandwiches, finger food, and boxed drinks, put up some upbeat music and have an indoor picnic. Who says you have to go anywhere to have a good time together?
9. Family Game Night: dust off the Chutes and Ladders, Yahtzee, Monopoly, Candyland, or that old deck of cards. Older kids might like Trouble, Uno, Kerplunk, Risk, or poker. Some families hold Family Game Night once a week for thirty minutes to an hour. Have an assortment available and let a different family member choose what you play each time.
If you have other great family traditions, share them and pass them on.
Meanwhile, HAPPY PARENTING DAY! All the best to you and your family!
Topics: Parents Do Make A Difference |
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