Every Tuesday I will be sharing a little something to help you and me establish meaningful traditions in our homes.
This Tuesday's "Tradition Tidbit" comes from Richard and Linda Eyre. They are writers of many books but their most famous "Teaching Your Children Values" is one of my favorites. They also have a great website called Valuesparenting.com (awesome resource).
Here is what Richard Eyre has to say about a good tradition's staying power:
"One other personal incident will illustrate the 'staying power' and bonding influence of family traditions. On my birthday in October, we had always raked huge piles of leaves with the kids and then jumped in them, stuffed them in our shirts, thrown them in the air, and just generally had a wild time. We thought as the kids got older, their interest in such a frivolous activity would fade. On the contrary, when they were teens, the leaf piles just got bigger. Finally, one year, four of our children were away at school or living abroad. On my birthday, four birthday cards arrived. As I opened the first, a leaf fell out and a note, 'Dad, I honored your birthday tradition. Here's a leaf from my jumping pile. I love you.' Through my tears I opened the other three - and a leaf fell from each."
He continues:
"Take some time and review your family traditions. Do they help you in teaching values and in developing better communication? Adjust and alter to make your traditions productive as well as enjoyable. List them by month in a special book of some kind or put them on a family calendar so they can be anticipated and planned for. Make them a priority until they take on a life of their own" Richard Eyre Valuesparenting.com - Family Infrastructure
You can read more about establishing traditions and find many more resources on the Eyre's websites: Valuesparenting.com, The Power of Moms, and their newest endeavor The Scaffolding Coalition (all AMAZING resources!)
