5 New Memory-Making Traditions (From Parent Cue)
From Parent Cue:
Traditions communicate to families the phrase, “We belong together.” Engaging in traditions allows adults and kids alike to focus on the important things in the midst of chaos. No matter the ages of the kids in your home, traditions matter, and the feelings they evoke will stay with them long after they leave home.
No matter how life or your finances look this holiday season, one thing is true: the best gift you could ever give your kids is your presence. Here are five ways to make quality memories with your family this season:
1. Read the Christmas story together. Turn off the lights and read the Christmas story from Luke 1-2:38 by the light of the Christmas tree. If you have a house with younger kids, you could even use characters from a Nativity scene to act out the story.
2. Make a holiday breakfast for dinner. Turn your pancakes into snowmen with chocolate chip faces and bacon scarves or make your seasonal French toast casserole. Holiday meals give your family members something to look forward to each year.
3. Serve those who are serving you. Leave bagged holiday snacks and drinks at your doorstep for the delivery people who show up all season. Make a festive sign to say “thank you!”
4. Commemorate the year’s blessings. Have each family member choose a cookie cutter or ornament that represents something good God has done for them this year. Then, decorate the tree or bake and decorate a batch of cut-out cookies.
5. Retell the story of your kid’s birth. At bedtime, share the story of each of your kid’s birth or arrival in the family. Pray for families who are welcoming children in the midst of unusual or difficult circumstances right now.
The great thing about traditions? There are no rules—you get to make them up in a way that is unique to your family. So, one parting piece of advice: don’t let the busyness of the holiday season smother out the traditions that allow you to celebrate the true reason for the holiday season. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to create your most treasured memories with the ones you love most.