My father is a creature of habit. Looking back at my ‘wonder years’, I recall that when it came to celebrating Christmas and Boxing days and Easter Monday as a family, we were very predictable. In the morning after breakfast, my mum, assisted by us girls, would prepare a packed meal for the family. And then sometime in the afternoon, my dad would drive us down to the beach where we would spend the afternoon. As evening approached, we would pack up our stuff, leave the beach and head straight for Federal Palace Hotel, where we would have ‘suya’ (roasted beef) and drinks before finally retiring for the day.

Back then, as children and then teenagers, we would grumble and complain that we never did anything fun or different. Now, decades later, I see that what we had was a lovely tradition that leaves us all with lasting memories. Now, with kids of my own, I often look back at my own childhood with the objective of selecting what traditions we had which I want to carry on.

Family Traditions, as we know, are those practices and attributes which exist in different families and may even be passed from one generation to another, with modifications, of course. Meaningful traditions are a valuable asset as they help parents carry out the responsibility of inculcating in their children certain social norms and values.

They promote a sense of identity and belonging; a feeling of closeness, a sense of security and assurance. These traditions tell our kids this, “Though I may be busy sometimes, we can still make the most of the time we do spend together”.

Even if you did not experience this as a child, introducing it to your family is a sure way to create a unique bond that they will appreciate and love you more for in the years to come.

Bereft of ideas to develop for your own unique family traditions? Find some fun ideas here:
Special Family Outings and/or Vacations
Secret Handshake
Family Meal Time/Day
Family Prayer
Surprise Daily Note
Unique Family Hugs
Evening Walks
Movie Night
First Day of School Photos
Date with Daddy/Mummy

The possibilities are limitless! Just look for something that will be uniquely yours and own it.

Life is beautiful!

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