toddler - months 16-18 / you & your family / making family traditions your own

Nestlé Baby - MAKING FAMILY TRADITIONS YOUR OWN
Traditions help form a family's uniqueness - and make each member of the family feel special for taking part. By sharing familiar activities with your baby, kids develop a stronger sense of belonging and security.

Some family traditions evolve accidentally, but they don't have to - you can choose which ones you'd like to create for your family. They can be anything - from special dishes on birthdays, to singing on car trips, to backrubs at bedtime. And they can include traditions from your own childhood, or be new and spontaneous.

Here are a few ideas on developing traditions with your loved ones:
  • Be realistic. Attempts at establishing new traditions won't always go as smoothly as you'd like, so keep your expectations real.

  • Fit your family's personality. It's great to receive new ideas from friends or neighbours, but keep your family's interests and values in mind, and customize accordingly.

  • Think about the Holidays. Traditions often happen when families come together to share in the excitement and celebrations over the Holiday season consider ideas like: carving a pumpkin at Hallowe'en, or serving a special dish at Thanksgiving. Don't forget to include Mother's or Father's Day to share with the whole family.
 family tradition

  • Make it personal. Building traditions around personal days, such as anniversaries and birthdays are also excellent opportunities. Let the Birthday girl choose a special dinner location, or dish to have if the celebration is at home. Try to make nontraditional anniversaries special too - such as marking the day when you moved into your new home.

  • Frequency counts. Not all traditions have to be once-a-year occasions. You might choose to go to the movies every Tuesday, pick up fresh flowers each Friday, or go out for ice cream on Sunday evenings.

  • Celebrate the seasons. Mix in a few seasonal activities like building a snowman after the first snow or raking leaves together in the fall.

  • Smooth sailing. Use traditions to help the family run more smoothly, such as holding monthly meetings to discuss family concerns. Or, if family members have trouble agreeing on weekend activities together, you could establish a tradition of taking turns choosing activities from an approved list.

  • Start now. In the first two or three years of you child's life, you can experiment with possible family traditions. Beyond age three, your child may recall and demand to do it "how we did it last year."

  • Be patient. Some traditions are ingrained more quickly than others. Repetition will help your family embrace the rituals as a valued part of your life together.
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