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Family Rituals and Traditions
Now More Important Than Ever
By Janet Dengel
Host a family reunion:
- Provide young children with many activities and allow them to mix at their own pace.
- Let them pass around a family photo album to use as a conversation starter.
- Tell them some positive family stories beforehand so they will be curious to know: "Which one is Uncle Jim who was once on television?"
Take time to teach your children about their ethnic background:
- Prepare recipes, read travel books or watch videotapes relating to the countries of their ancestors.
Don't forget the importance of daily rituals:
- Your child will never tire of the goodnight kiss, the morning hug or having milk and cookies at snack time.
- The best family ritual of all is sharing your time together each day.
Some Dos and Don'ts for Family Rituals
Cohen suggests the following dos and donts: - Do keep it fun and relaxed.
- Do establish rituals that ensure family time together.
- Do add symbols that your child will remember and that will promote family identity. A vase that belonged to Great-Grandma can be filled with flowers for Sunday dinners, or the homemade decorations your child makes in school can be displayed on holidays.
- Don't bother with empty rituals that have no relation to your family's interest and personality.
- Don't be too formal, making the ritual void of feeling and forced.
- Don't insist on carrying out rituals if they contradict other emotional issues that should be addressed. For example: Don't insist on your child sitting on your lap to read if he is upset or angry about something. Discuss what's bothering him first.