Family traditions are really a huge part of family life. There is nothing quite like reminiscing over old stories and reliving them when you carry out the family traditions once more. Whether they relate to specific holidays, such as Christmas, or they’re just something you do that’s unique to you, they’re always going to be special. 

What is it that makes family traditions so important, whatever they might be? Read on to find out, and you might even value yours a little bit more. 

Builds Bonds 

One of the reasons why having lovely family traditions is so important is that it can help to build bonds. This is crucial because good bonds in a family will enable everyone to feel stable and secure; they’ll always know there is somewhere they can go if they are feeling down, need help, or just want somewhere to rest. Having this safe space with people you love gives you more confidence to try new things – you know you have a safety net, essentially – and that will lead you to become more balanced in life. 

Although this is important, and that might make it seem as though the traditions you create have to be spectacular or expensive ones, the truth is they can be very simple. A walk after Christmas dinner wearing a new item of clothing, movie night with snacks and popcorn on the first Saturday of the month, or an annual barbecue with family and friends, for example. 

Teaches Lessons 

Family traditions are also important because they can teach many life skills that family members can go on to use in their own lives as they get older. So you might have a weekly family dinner where everyone contributes to the cooking – that will teach everyone some skills in the kitchen. You might have an annual holiday on your Merry Fisher 795, and that will teach everyone about safety, swimming, fishing, time management, and more (they just won’t realise they are learning a lot of the time). You might all volunteer together on a regular basis, and that will teach everyone that it’s good to give back. Or litter pick in your area once a month, teaching everyone the importance and value of looking after the environment.

As your family gets older and grows, everyone will have some good life lessons they can use to move forward. As they have their own families, they can use those same traditions to teach the same good lessons, as well as adding their own new ones, and so the cycle continues and evolves. 

Builds Self-Esteem 

Family traditions can also help to build self-esteem, which is vital to confidence and success in life. When children take part in family traditions, they’ll see that they are an integral part of the family – they are needed. They’ll feel as though they’re part of something special. That feeling will make them much more confident, and their self-esteem will grow as a result. 

With good self-esteem, they will be able to try new things, take risks, and follow their dreams, all of which can lead to a much happier life overall, and that’s one of the most important things of all. 

What are your favourite family traditions? Do let me know in a comment below.