- Create a "YES Jar". Into it, put all the "NO's" that you're willing to put off until another day: "NO, you can't go to the zoo." "NO, you can't stay up late." Choose one day a month where your child can pick out a few "NO's" and turn them into "YES." "YES you can have ice cream for dinner." "YES you can skip your bath."
- For birthdays, let each family member choose his favorite meal. Then everyone but the birthday boy helps make it. Or write a letter to your child every year on their birthday. Give them the stack when they're 18 (or in my case I'd probably put them in a scrapbook or something like that).
- Give each child a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve.
do you have any favorite traditions that you hope to pass down? i'd love any thoughts, ideas, or feedback...so leave a comment.
5 comments:
I absolutly LOVE traditions. Every Christmas Eve after all the kids go to bed, the adults all get together and blow up TONS of balloons that fills the room with the Christmas tree, covering all the presents. I remember it being sooo fun running in and moving all the balloons! After we were done opening presents we would all get pins and pop them! Also, for Christmas breakfast I am going to make homemade sticky buns and my grandpa's hot chocolate. And then for birthdays we are going to allow our kids choose what is for all the meals. I can't remember where I found it, but I bought a plate that is "Today is your special day" ir something on it. I think that their some that actually said "Happy Birthday" on it. But whenever our kids have a big game or what not, we are going to use the "Special" plate. Or you can go to a pottery place and make one yourself. I think that is a really cute idea, but sadly I am not artistic.
Oh dear...I didn't mean to type that much!!
bobby and i have decided (well, mostly me, and he's agreed to humor me) that we're going to bake a birthday cake every Christmas, and before all our kids blow out the candles, they'll say one thing they're going to give to Christ for the year (kind of like new years resolutions, only strictly spiritual). we've also bought a Christmas tree ornament everywhere we've traveled and written the date we got it on the bottom. It's not impressive yet, just one from Nauvoo and from Burlington, but hopefully the collection will increase someday.
tim and i are more tacky. we buy a magnet everywhere we travel together! growing up, we did the nativity story on christmas eve (a classic) and dressed up when the kids were young (but adults had to dress up as well!). my mom made our bed on birthdays and we got to pick what's for dinner.
when we were pretty young and went on family roadtrips, it was difficult to sit still! if we were good, we got a "present" at certain stops. they were small things that we could do in the car...coloring book with crayons or an etch a sketch or something.
we'd also go out for ice cream or something after a performance (like if i was in a choir concert or joel in a play, etc).
We do the write your child a letter on their b-day-highly recommend it. Anyway, I love your new background. Very cute.
every year (yes, even now) my mother makes me a homemade valentine's day card. she uses paper doilies and cuts hearts out of red construction paper, the whole nine yards. really, they are hilarious in their homemade-ness, but i love them. i think that i have even kept a few of them for days when i need to know at least ONE person in the world loves me. :-S somedays you're the windsheild, somedays you're the bug.... :-)
Post a Comment