8 Family Rituals to Build Stronger Bonds
It’s so easy to get bogged down in day-to-day activities that precious time passes without you even noticing. By the time you realize how quickly time flies, your kids may be getting ready to go to college. But there are plenty of ways to make wonderful family memories that will last a lifetime.
Family rituals are an easy way to work in more family time and strengthen your bonds. These eight rituals don’t have to take a lot of time, but they can infuse your family life with an extra dose of fun.
Have Morning Pep Talks
Getting up in the morning can be so hard for children and parents alike. Doing morning pep talks with each other can help prepare everyone for the day ahead. Use positive wording to remind children that they can do it, whether that’s doing their best on an upcoming test or being kind to their classmates.
Your children can give you a pep talk, too! While pep talks from small children may not always be motivating, they can be very entertaining.
Go on Family Walks
Scheduling time to go on a family walk can bring you together and help you get some exercise. If you have a dog, walking the family dog as a group is an easy way to connect. But even if you don’t have a dog, you might choose to walk around your neighborhood or through an area park. Some families may want to do this every evening, while others may prefer to walk together once a week.
Play High, Low, Buffalo
“How was your day?”
“Fine. Yours?”
“Fine.”
If you’re anything like most families, you’ve probably had this conversation more times than you can count. While it’s good to check in with your family, you often don’t learn much about what they’re going through if you leave the conversation at that.
High, low, buffalo is an easy way to have a much more detailed conversation. In this activity, everyone shares a highlight from their day (the “high”), a low point of the day (the “low”), and something random they want to share (the “buffalo”). This is such a simple way to know your family better and understand their ups and downs.
Read a Story Together Every Night
Reading with your child helps them develop language skills while bonding. Parents may read books to young children, but once the child’s reading skills improve, the child might read to their parents instead. One day, you may even be able to enjoy your own live reading of the entire “Harry Potter” series.
Have a Nightly Dance Party
Dancing is a fun way to relieve stress and cut loose at the end of the day. Once your family is home together, you might put on a song and all dance to it. Not only is dancing fun and invigorating, but a little dancing might help put everyone in a better mood after a long day.
Enjoy Weekend Breakfasts Together
Weekdays are often so chaotic that it can be hard to bring everyone together for a morning meal. But if everyone has off on a weekend morning each week, that’s the perfect opportunity to connect over a special family breakfast. You might develop a set menu or rotate what you have.
Have a Themed Dinner Every Week
Eating dinner together can help forge strong family bonds. To make dinner even more special, you might make it a ritual to have one themed dinner each week. You can agree on the theme ahead of time and put together a menu based on that theme. If you want to make the themed dinner more educational, you might select a country of the week and choose dishes that are popular in that country.
Make Up a Holiday
Sure, there are already plenty of holidays on the calendar. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make your own! In fact, if you create your own family holiday, it can seem even more special because you’re the only people to celebrate it. For instance, you might celebrate “bad haircut day,” “weird pizza toppings day,” or any other creative idea you come up with. Setting a date, developing traditions, and making your holiday a yearly event can help create lasting memories.
What family rituals have brought your family together? Share your favorites in the comments section below.
