A loving and supportive family is integral to the development of healthy, emotionally intelligent and secure children. Family traditions, whether religious, cultural, or simply routines and activities, are also important. These regular occurrences provide children with a sense of stability and security, help inform their identities, and can strengthen family bonds.
Types of Traditions
Family traditions can include religious holidays, celebrations of culture and heritage, or any recurring event that brings loved ones together. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan, for example, involve the exchange of gifts and foster a sense of togetherness, either through time spent together or shared sacrifice. These and other religious holidays, as well as weddings, baptisms, and similar events celebrating new life, bring families together and allow older family members to pass on shared traditions to younger generations.
Cultural traditions provide similar benefits to the family unit. These are shared customs, habits, and events that are passed along from one generation to the next, building community and strengthening family bonds. You don’t have to be religious or partake in cultural events, however, to form strong family bonds via shared traditions. A family tradition can be anything from vacationing in the same place every year to getting together for a weekly movie night.
Marking the Passage of Time
For young children, in particular, traditions are important in marking the passage of time. Because young children do not yet have an accurate perception of time, weekly, seasonal, or annual events and traditions can help them better understand the concept. Birthdays and holidays, such as Christmas, are tangible markers that not only help kids grasp the idea of the passage of time, but also help them feel as though they are loved, supported, and part of a strong family with shared values.
Connecting with Culture and Loved Ones
The majority of cultural traditions emphasize family and respecting elders. Children can get a better sense of their identities, family histories, and places in the world via participation in cultural events and family traditions. This is especially true for immigrant families whose children might feel different or have trouble acclimating to their new surroundings.
Participation in these traditions provides children with a sense of purpose and fosters a deeper connection to family and others who share the culture. It can even provide a sense of connection to deceased family members, if it is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation.
More than anything, traditions like family meals or game nights are excuses to bring everyone together and create memories. It’s easy to arrange family activities when your children are young, but their free time dwindles as they get older and more independent. Establishing traditions while children are young makes the most of time spent together and increases the likelihood of a tight-knit family unit after they become more independent.
Social Skills and Cognitive Development
Beyond providing children with opportunities to embrace their cultures or spend quality time with loved ones, family traditions can enhance cognitive development and boost their social skills. Traditions like board games prompt children to flex their creativity and critical thinking skills. A game like Monopoly, for example, teaches real-world lessons and involves math and strategy, forcing kids to think critically and carefully about each decision. Storytelling, crafts, and other similar activities also support cognitive development.
Children can also glean valuable social skills from many of these activities. By having to wait their turn in board games, they learn how to be patient and respect the time of others. Traditions like Thanksgiving or “Thankful Thursdays,” meanwhile, promote gratitude and can help kids more effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings.
Fostering a Sense of Stability
Family traditions also provide young children with stability during turbulent or transitional periods, and can help build resilience. Children experience a lot of change early in their lives, whether it’s navigating complex and changing emotions, starting school, or moving to a new town. Traditions serve as an anchor, offering stability and routine while grounding them emotionally. They can also provide a sense of comfort and dependability, helping children build resilience through challenging times.
Starting Your Own Traditions
There are no rules for creating your family traditions. Parents are already passing along key values and qualities to their children if they regularly participate in religious and cultural holidays or celebrations, but family traditions don’t have to be tied to ancient customs. They can be birthdays, summer vacations, pizza nights, or any other recurring family event.
With babies and toddlers, reading stories or nursery rhymes that one’s parents read to them is a great way to maintain a family tradition. Older kids, meanwhile, can help cook family meals involving recipes that have been passed down from prior generations. Volunteering for certain causes on a regular basis is another great way to strengthen family bonds, create memories, and teach kids about the power of selflessness.
