Celebrating Your Relationship Through Traditions

This Sunday is Mother’s Day which immediately makes my heart warm.

Not only because I myself have an incredible mom but I am given the opportunity to celebrate my relationship with my children.

But it’t not just Mother’s Day. It has evolved into so much more than that because of our annual tradition.  You see years ago without intention, we started a tradition and it has been our favorite thing to do together on Mother’s Day ever since.

Every year I take my kids to Rehoboth Beach, walk the boardwalk, play in the sand, and most importantly eat crepes on Penny Lane. Mother’s Day is the only time of year we eat crepes which makes this tradition even more special.

What Are Traditons?

Traditions are defined as beliefs, customs, or information passed on from generation to generation. There is power in traditions as it’s something special to a group of people. Traditions are personalized, intimate, enjoyed by each other, and associated with positive emotions. It’s not crepes themselves. It’s about the joy we feel when we experience participating in our tradition. The other power of tradition is they are repeated throughout our lives and over a course of time. Traditions are worth taking the time to do again and again.

Now, aside from traditions, there are core elements of healthy parenting. This characteristics are consistency, predictability, and follow-through. Exemplifying all of these traits positively influences your role as a parent. Consistency means keeping routines. Predictability helps kids know what to expect from you. And when kids know their boundaries they flourish. Finally, follow-through means you do what you say you are going to do. Traditions are a perfect way of creating consistency, predictability and follow-through.

The Power of Tradition in Relationships

Traditions can be created throughout the entire year. And you have an opportunity to create a new tradition at anytime — as long as you are committed to repeating it in years to come. You can create a sentimental tradition on the 4th of July or on Halloween.

My family has a handful of family traditions. One tradition for my family is during the Easter season where I make our kids Italian Easter Bread. The kids seem to appreciate it more because it only comes once a year!

The kids participate in this tradition by dying the eggs which are braided into the bread. It’s important to give your child a role in the family tradition. When I was kid my grandmother would build a real life sized teepee tent on Thanksgiving. Myself and my cousins would dress up as pilgrims or Native Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving. Not exactly PC, but this was a cherished family tradition as we all participated in this fun day!

These traditions make us feel closer. They engage each of us and become a special part of our memory. The nostalgia of a tradition can last a lifetime. It is a gift you give your child which they later give to their child.

A final thought about the power of traditions is how they can anchor us for that moment in time. Many people comment about how busy their families are, how many responsibilities we have, how much information comes our way every single moment. If done properly traditions can suspend us for that moment in time. We stop to enjoy, cherish, relish and love that particular moment. I would argue traditions are even more crucial in today’s busy world and if you do not have cherished traditions then it’s time to get a few started!

Traditions are a way to celebrate your relationships.

So what traditions are you passing down to your children?

I love hearing about family traditions as they are always so fun and creative. Take a moment and comment below to inspire others!