Posted on 11/16/2016
Weekly rhythms are important, especially for the stay-at-home parent with preschoolers. Why? There’s little, if any, built-in rhythm to the week. Important routines can give way to either monotony or rigidity, though, so it’s important to keep them in their place, as we discussed in a previous post. Just like our daily and weekly routines need to serve us, not the other way around, your family can benefit from seasonal traditions that serve you, wherever you are in life.
Put Fond Memories in Their Place
We all have memories which we bring in to our own families from our families of origin. If yours is a 2-parent family, then you have two sets of traditions and memories, and those probably aren’t identical to one another. You may also remember the way your family celebrated when you were an older elementary-aged child or teenager, rather than when you were very young. Either way, what worked for you or your spouse or significant other may not work well right now for your family. And that’s okay.
Evaluate What You Have To Give
The shift of seasons, or even the starting or ending points of every month can offer potentially fertile soil from which traditions and celebrations can emerge. If you’re like me, the word “traditions” conjures up thoughts of “the holidays” and more time, energy, and financial commitment than you have available to give on a more frequent basis. (We’ll talk more about that issue in another post, but for now, let’s just table that discussion.) Maybe we’ll use the term “ritual,” instead, even though we’re not really talking about anything religious, here. Maybe it’s just anticipating the first evening or Saturday of the month as a “pajama day” or an opportunity to do a random act of kindness for a friend or neighbor. Perhaps it means saving extra change throughout the month so you can enjoy ordering pizza or going out for dinner.
Evaluate What You Need
If your family is made up of homebodies that could use getting out, then maybe your seasonal celebration rituals should include some kind of outing — maybe even an overnighter or long weekend away, if that’s a possibility. Perhaps you have friends or relatives that live at a distance, and you can make it your fall tradition to visit some of them each year. Or maybe you’re always on the go in this stage of life, so you’d be better served by a “no plans” weekend to celebrate each season. You could decorate the house a little or make a seasonal favorite meal together and watch a movie that reflects that time of year. Perhaps you rarely play games as a family, and you could play board games on this day and keep score for every quarter. Some families tend to isolate themselves, busy with the rhythms of everyday life, and this seasonal celebration can offer an opportunity to invite friends over for a meal or even just a snack.
Whatever kinds of monthly or seasonal rituals your family chooses, make sure they serve your family at this stage of life, whatever that may be.
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