8 New Holiday Traditions You Can Do With Your Family!

December is the LAST month of the year, so let’s make it the BEST one! This is the time of year that people usually stress over the upcoming holidays, buying presents, traveling far and wide, cooking, baking, cleaning, the list goes on and on! Instead of stressing over ALL of that, this is the PERFECT time to ENGAGE with your family!

During this month, we are focusing on Positivity, Meaning, and Engagement (including Self-Compassion and Resiliency). Like we said, instead of having the negative mindset of doing ALL THE THINGS and getting stressed, overwhelmed, tired, etc., focus more on positive things, like spending quality time, connecting, and engaging with your family & friends.

This is the perfect time to share old traditions that you used to do when you were a child or come up with new traditions with your children and family this year!

Here are some new tradition ideas that you can start with your family:

1. Decorate a Gingerbread House- have a friendly competition and have other family members or friends vote on their favorite
2. Bake cookies- Allow your children to measure the ingredients, stir and decorate
3. Write Holiday cards- Allow your children to write their names or draw a picture
4. Play games- Each of you picks a game that you would like to play together
5. Read books- Each of your pick a book or allow your children to read a book out loud
6. Wrap gifts- Allow your children to wrap some presents. They don’t have to be perfect. Let them be proud of their wrapping
7. Make hot cocoa and watch a favorite movie or show
8. Make homemade ornaments for your home and gifts for others

Some other traditions you can start with your family could be an Act of Kindness Tradition!

1. Create holiday cards and send them to a nursing home, wounded warriors, etc.
2. Donate food to a food pantry
3. Send baked goods to the local fire or police station
4. Help an elderly neighbor with their groceries or shovel their sidewalk when it snows
5. Donate old toys and books your child no longer use
6. Pick up litter in your local park
7. Leave a gift or card for a community helper
8. Volunteer to read a book at your local library or nursing home

Be sure to come back next week as we discuss more on Self-Compassion and Resiliency!