The Power of Family Traditions
- Lydia (Founder)
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 1
Traditions hold the key to creating magical and special memories for children. Here's why you should make some of your own.
Word count: 683
Read time: 3 mins
Some of our current traditions: Going on bush walks, gifting reward "tickets," playing games like minecraft together, reading stories at bedtime, car trips with music and loud singing!
Do Traditions Matter?
Earlier this year I came across this post by lolo_webb asking mums of grown daughters to share how they kept the bond so strong.
Curiosity got the best of me and I read every damn comment - all 2000 of them at the time - and because I love data I analysed and documented the recurring themes / patterns that came up. Here's the top 7 themes I noticed:
LISTEN - to everything
Respect her boundaries
Do not judge, nag or force advice
Create little traditions for spending time together
Be open to quality chats - whenever
Go on drives (best way to encourage quality chats)
Be a mum first and a friend second (be a safe place and a role model first - don't burden daughters with adult troubles)
I created a 30 page booklet of them which you can download here.
5 are about respectiuful communciation and 2 are traditions.
This got me thinking...our best memories really do originate from things we did on a regular basis - not just a once off thing. Traditions matter a whole bunch when it comes to making happy memories for our kids that last.
The Power of Traditions
Parents who make traditions create longer lasting & more meaningful memories because of a simple reason: repetition.
1) Repetition communicates a deep desire to engage
If you hang with someone one time and you never do it again, they would assume that you did not enjoy it very much. If you had really enjoyed it, you'd probably have tried to do it again. Same goes for hanging out with your kids.
Traditions literally tell our kids - heck we enjoyed that board game night with you so much I want to do it again! They learn that we love hanging out with them in special ways. If we do it regularly, it creates a narrative that we have a deeper connection and love for them.
2) Repetition is good for memory
The more we do something, the more we remember it, no matter how small it was.
Repetition = solidification into a stronger memory they keep with them forever.
When children look back, the moments they will recall most won't be the random ones, it'll be the traditions.
Need Ideas? Here's Some Cracker Traditions You Can Start With
These are ones that I do currently (my kids are 5 ands 7):
Pancakes on Sunday mornings with music
Adventure stories before bedtime - Enid Blyton is our favourite read right now
Treasure hunts for birthday presents
Celebrate birthdays for a week not just one day. I give the kids extra special attention and allowances for the week e.g. they can choose dinner or stay up later etc or give them one small gift each morning
Go on small car trips to the bush - while we're walking we have a tradition of looking out for anything interesting - whether it be a cool stick, leaf or mushroom or whatever
Play loud music on car trips and sing!
Affirmations before bedtime - remind them of all the people in their life that love and care about them, the amazing character traits they posses
Pull them out of school every now and then for some R&R at home or surprise them with an early pick up from school and take them to get a small treat
Play games together on the weekend (we play Minecraft on the pc and Mario Kart 8 on the switch)
Final Words
Children grow up remembering eventa or activities that made them feel strong emotions too. Being cherished and enjoyed doesnt have to be a tradition! But if you want your kids to remember something, do it on a regular basis and over time, you'll have built a story that they carry with them into adulthood: I was loved, I belonged, I mattered.
That’s why traditions are so powerful—they’re not about the specific activity, but about the unwavering message of love and connection that we encode into spending time with them.
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