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ENLARGE
Busler
Traditions help provide us with a base to keep our memories alive. They help to tell stories about the way things were done years ago. Bringing families together helps the children feel connected to their parents. Show interest, do things together, work, play, and talk with one another. The way we “do” things becomes our family traditions and rituals. They involve handing down information, beliefs and values from one generation to the next.
Those traditions benefit families by bringing them together around a common goal. It’s something fun to do together. They create traditions to last a lifetime and solidify family memories. They allow us to learn new things together and to benefit from life experiences across the generations.
Family traditions are the special things we look forward to as a family. Traditions are the threads of life that bind us together as a family. They help build a feeling of stability, safety and predictability for family members — so important now, with all that is happening with the economy and our communities.
Traditions provide a sense of continuity, love, and understanding that strengthen family ties. Another benefit of family traditions is identity, the sense of belonging that makes families and family members feel unique. A key benefit of family traditions is predictability; that sense of regularity and order that families, particularly children, need.
With Saint Patrick’s Day coming up this week, think about your family traditions. What do you always do around that holiday? Think about ways you might create some new family traditions this year. Why not investigate the history of St. Patrick’s Day? What’s it all about, and why is the date March 17 so important?
Create family food traditions. Our family always had corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread. When I was younger, we always had green eggs and ham.
Think about ways your family might do something good for others. Put together shamrock plants and four-leaf clover sugar cookies with green sprinkles for your neighbors. Why not help out an elderly shut-in with spring cleaning?
Do a craft project together. Get lucky and create your own pot of gold. Decorate inexpensive place mats for all the family. You can have great fun making four-leaf clover stamps using potatoes. You’ll be a hit making your own green flubber using glue and borax or homemade play dough. How about homemade gummy fruit drops using limeade mix?
I’m sure you can think of a lot more ideas you can do together as a family. As you recognize these traditions and rituals with your family, appreciate their value, place and the strength you gain from them. They make your family unique and provide understanding, continuity, closeness and appreciation for one another. Start today by thinking of things you do that make your family special. Those things done together are memories that help sustain us in these challenging times and give us strength as a family unit.
Now’s a good time to begin thinking about what you can do for Easter.
Susan Busler is the Family Community Development Extension agent for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. Susan can be reached by e-mail at susan.busler@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 672-4461.
Those traditions benefit families by bringing them together around a common goal. It’s something fun to do together. They create traditions to last a lifetime and solidify family memories. They allow us to learn new things together and to benefit from life experiences across the generations.
Family traditions are the special things we look forward to as a family. Traditions are the threads of life that bind us together as a family. They help build a feeling of stability, safety and predictability for family members — so important now, with all that is happening with the economy and our communities.
Traditions provide a sense of continuity, love, and understanding that strengthen family ties. Another benefit of family traditions is identity, the sense of belonging that makes families and family members feel unique. A key benefit of family traditions is predictability; that sense of regularity and order that families, particularly children, need.
With Saint Patrick’s Day coming up this week, think about your family traditions. What do you always do around that holiday? Think about ways you might create some new family traditions this year. Why not investigate the history of St. Patrick’s Day? What’s it all about, and why is the date March 17 so important?
Create family food traditions. Our family always had corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread. When I was younger, we always had green eggs and ham.
Think about ways your family might do something good for others. Put together shamrock plants and four-leaf clover sugar cookies with green sprinkles for your neighbors. Why not help out an elderly shut-in with spring cleaning?
Do a craft project together. Get lucky and create your own pot of gold. Decorate inexpensive place mats for all the family. You can have great fun making four-leaf clover stamps using potatoes. You’ll be a hit making your own green flubber using glue and borax or homemade play dough. How about homemade gummy fruit drops using limeade mix?
I’m sure you can think of a lot more ideas you can do together as a family. As you recognize these traditions and rituals with your family, appreciate their value, place and the strength you gain from them. They make your family unique and provide understanding, continuity, closeness and appreciation for one another. Start today by thinking of things you do that make your family special. Those things done together are memories that help sustain us in these challenging times and give us strength as a family unit.
Now’s a good time to begin thinking about what you can do for Easter.
Susan Busler is the Family Community Development Extension agent for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. Susan can be reached by e-mail at susan.busler@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 672-4461.
