Why We Should Teach Children About Traditions

Traditions are like the lifeline of families. Many of them are not seen, but they exist to be felt. For some families more than others, traditions play a large role in bonding family ties. In this day and age, I feel it is important for us to teach our children about traditions. Here’s why. Five Reasons Why Traditions Matter It is part of our preserved culture. They don’t necessarily define who we are, but they form a part of our foundation as a family and as an individual. Many traditions help shape fundamental values in families, such as upholding integrity, being a responsible person, doing good and hard work, etc. Traditions also bring people together, as a family, community, and society as a whole. There is a sense of belonging in shared cultures. Traditions are a part of history that have shaped us and those who came before us. They give us a sense of identity, about where we came from. Traditions can also form a set of beliefs that people can hold on to in the absence of any faith that serves to comfort and uphold one’s well-being. Having Your Own Family Traditions If you have a certain way of going about things in your family, that itself is a kind of tradition that you’re setting at home. Whether it’s the way you do certain things at home, or setting up a particular routine or your unique way to celebrate special occasions, these are little family traditions. Along what the traditions that have been passed down to you, you can also create some of your own with your children. Make them as meaningful as you want; something that fits your family. They don’t need to be something huge. Little fun things that we consistently do can be a kind of tradition. Make them fun, and they’ll always be memorable to everyone. Here are some ideas of fun and meaningful family traditions to set up: Image credit: Pexels School Traditions Back-To-School Photos — every time school starts, take a photo on the first day of school and compile them year after year End-Of-School Treat Time — on every last day of school for the term or year, have a special time out for an ice cream or burger to mark the end of school School Holiday Outings — at every school holiday, take time to go to one or two special places or activity. It need not be an expensive holiday trip. It can be a day-out to an interesting place to visit or even just catching a movie at the cinema Special Occasions Birthdays — many Chinese families keep up with the tradition of making red eggs for birthdays. Pick your family’s favourite foods and make them as birthday specials. Festivities — make it a point to decorate the house together, whether it’s DIY projects to make decor pieces or putting up decors all around. Spring clean together and have everyone in charge of a special task every year. Cook or bake something together. New Year — spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day in your own way as a family. Make it a family reflection day of the year gone by and new hopes and dreams for the new year ahead. Have a special New Year’s menu just to celebrate the dawn of a new year. Image credit: GettyImage Special Everyday Moments Late Movie Nights — have a once a week or fortnight specials where the whole family settle down for a night-in watching a late night movie in pyjamas with popcorn Bedtime Stories — make it a special routine by reading or making up stories during these precious moments at the end of the day Special Games Day — pick a specific day for your family’s favourite game or sports to play together and make this a routine Teaching Children About Diversity Through Traditions Image credit: Pexels Having a set of family traditions and having our children involved in them help them to grow up with a better emotional adjustments in life. It is also important to teach our children about the diverse world we live in, where everyone has their own sets of culture and tradition. Teach them about respect and tolerance of everyone who is different from us. The good thing is that family traditions can easily be established in their own ways within a family. If the older traditions are not the right fit for you, tweak them or mix and match them. Create them as you wish. Even children can have their own ideas about it. That would make it even more meaningful if they are allowed to create one in the family. Have fun with family traditions. Watch your children grow up with cherished and special memories of their childhood days full of deep-rooted meaning. We at Mamahood are rooting for you to embrace and hold on dearly to your family traditions and pass them on!

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