Reconnect With New Family Traditions
By Amy Loveridge, for Revive Your Life
Photo by Mosman Council
In these busy times, families seem to see less and less of each other, while adding more and more activities, classes, and meetings to the calendar. By the time everyone gets home from work or school, there is too little energy to catch up before the cycle begins again the next day. Even the holidays get crammed with running from one visit to the next. All of this racing around calls for a new set of traditions- time just for you and the ones you love to hear about the adventures you’ve been experiencing during your time apart. Here are five ideas to get you started:
A Coffee Date
A great cup of coffee and conversation go together like bees and honey. Just because the youngest members of your clan are too young for the strong stuff doesn’t mean you can’t all get together over a warm cup of something delicious. Most coffeehouses offer hot chocolate or juices as an alternative for the younger set. Can’t take caffeine? Try an herbal tea or decaf. The best part of a regular coffee date is that you all get to linger and catch up. Can’t afford the pricey drinks? Make your own at home and schedule a television-free time to enjoy it. Stumped for drink ideas? Try the great drink recipes available here.
Plant Roots That Last
It’s a challenge to find any holiday that doesn’t come with expectations and events that clog your precious family time. Luckily, Arbor Day has escaped this crunch. Celebrate on the last Friday in April with a tree planting of your own. If you don’t have a yard to plant in, call around to local schools and parks to see if they would permit you to beautify their grounds. The Arbor Day Foundation gives away ten free trees with membership. Check out their tree guide to find out what trees are best suited to your geographic region. Each year, you can visit your trees to check on their progress. As your family grows, so will your contribution to the environment and nature’s beauty. Follow your planting with a picnic and a family photo to commemorate the occasion.
Giving Together
Teaching your family about the needs of others is great for all of you to help appreciate what you have. Serving meals at a local soup kitchen is not the only option. There is a charity for every interest. Are you a bunch of animal lovers? Volunteer once a month to play with the animals in your local shelter and take them for walks. Love building projects? Build a house for a deserving family with Habitat for Humanity. A family of arts lovers might enjoy volunteering to take tickets at a theatre and staying around to see the show afterward. If you need ideas, the United Way has a database that will search for places to give time in your community.
Dealer Takes All
Video and computer games are lots of fun, but everyone spends more time staring at the screen than talking to each other. Break the habit and go back to basics with an old fashioned game night. Poker has grown in popularity over the years; there are a wide variety of games out there for every card shark. If your game’s a little rusty, you can read up on the rules of play. Even little ones can enjoy adding up their nickels while practicing their math. If you’re not the gambling type, a good collection of board games could be the answer. Challenge each other to tournaments with gag gift prizes, change the rules at will, and take turns picking which games to play. One night a week will bring out the competitor and the laughs in your family, and will become a night to look forward to.
Phoning It In
If your loved ones are far away, catching up face-to-face is a challenge. There’s no reason not to set aside time for one another. Make a regular appointment for a weekly phone call with each of your distant family members. Pass the phone around and let everyone at home take the chance to say hello and share something new that’s happened since the previous week. Most cellular phone plans offer free evening and weekend minutes or family plans which allow you to talk for free to a selected group of phone numbers. If you all have a shared favorite television show, why not call and talk through the show, comparing your opinions and what you think will happen next? When you finally do get to be together, these weekly calls will give you more time to enjoy each other’s company without a backlog of news to hear.
Traditions are regular events. The only way to make sure your plan sticks is to repeat the activities you like on a regular basis until they become the best part of your family’s routine. The memories you will make together will draw you closer and make for laughter and good stories at family reunions for years to come.
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