Start A Family Tradition Now!

By Kristyn Kusek

An easy, yet very special way to bond with your baby is to establish a family tradition that will last your lifetimes. "Children raised with meaningful traditions seem to have a sense of spirituality and a strong relationship with their families," says Mimi Doe, author of Busy But Balanced (St. Martin's Press, 2001) and founder of The SpirtualParenting Website. Here, some ideas for traditions you can start making into memories today!

• Send baby a postcard. Whenever you go on a family trip, send your child a postcard from your locale, detailing what you did as a family during your time away.
  
  
• Take "growing up" snapshots. Snap a photo of your child every year, posing him or her in a static location that won't change with time (say, in front of a white wall or next to a tall dresser). For fun, dress her in a adult-sized clothing that won't be the right size for years to come (a big button-down shirt works well). Eventually, you'll have a chronological visual account of your kid's growth.
  
  
• Start a holiday hand chain. During a special holiday or family occasion, trace your child's hands on colored paper and cut them out to make a paper chain that you can hang above a mantle or across a door, suggests Doe. Add a new set of hands each year and you'll have a fun multi-sized progression of colorful hands.
  
  
• Make up a lullaby or goodnight prayer. Create a special lullaby or prayer that you say to your child every night before bed. (You don't need to be a songwriter to do this -- just think up simple phrases like "Mommy loves you" and "Sleep well" and sing them to a well-known tune.) As your child grows older, you can sing the song or say the prayer together, which is a comforting way to connect on a daily basis.

Kristen Kusek is a regular contributor to Your Baby Today. She's also a contributing editor at Redbook, and has written for Good Housekeeping, Parenting, The New York Times, and Lifetime TV Online.

   Top

Great Stuff

Baby Gund Sock Set -- 6-Pack

See all Product Reviews in this category