Tiny Traditions

We love keeping to a few TINY TRADITIONS in our family to provide a rhythm for the children, while creating lots of #intentionalmemories! As I think back to some of my fondest childhood memories, one of them was family movie night on Friday evenings, when Lolli would make snacks and we would watch something like The Sound of Music, still one of my favorites to this day! As a mother myself now, we enjoy a few TINY TRADITIONS of our own, like TUESDAY TREATS, FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT, SUNDAY FUNDAY and SUMMER STORIES. These aren’t the big family traditions, like going to the same beach every summer, or carrying on a particular hobby or family business, but these are the “little” things that add up to bigger memories and a larger legacy over time. Read below for more details on some of our favorite TINY TRADITIONS:

Tuesday Treats

Photo by Color and Chic

Tuesday has become a favorite day of the week in our home, since we started the #tinytradition of “Tuesday Treats!” This is a way we actually limit sweets in our house to one day a week and prevent that dreaded sugar overload! Since the kids know they will get a Tuesday Treat, they don’t usually ask for ice cream or candy every other day of the week.  We pick up the kids from school on Tuesday afternoons, then often head to one of our favorite spots like Bird Bakery for cupcakes or Weir’s General Store for a bag of candy– or sometimes, we will just go home to make our own Jell-O Lego men or to try a new cookie recipe. The boys love being mama’s helpers and “Kitchen Kids,” especially on Tuesdays when they know a sweet treat is involved!

Family Movie Night

Photos by Todays Creative Ideas and Lovely Lucky Life

As I mentioned, FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT is a tradition from my own childhood that I love carrying on with my own little ones now. The boys don’t ask to watch shows and movies during the school week, since they know their TV time is well-saved for a Friday night movie with yummy snacks on the couch with mom and dad. I’ll make a popcorn bar or a tray of chips and dip, then we decide together on an age-appropriate film that the whole family will enjoy. I’m sure as baby sister Liza grows, she will have more of an opinion, but for now, the boys are selecting movies like BambiToy Story, Lassie, Frosty the Snowman, and other classics! We try to prioritize family movie night over other Friday-night plans, so sometimes that means starting movie “night” at 4:00 before a dinner commitment, which the kids don’t mind at all!

Sunday Funday

Photos by Ginger Snap Crafts and Elizabeth Davis

Sunday is a special time for our family, when we begin with a church service, have lunch, then emphasize a fun activity that afternoon, whether it’s a stroll or scooter ride, or a fun arts-and-crafts time. We call it SUNDAY FUNDAY so that the kids feel excitement for this afternoon set aside to enjoy family togetherness over some fresh air or a creative activity. Lately, it’s been strolling up to a nearby park for tee-ball practice but the boys also enjoy finger painting in the backyard or focusing on a new Lego project!

Summer Stories

Photo by Annie McElwain

We created a bedtime routine a few years ago, beginning with our oldest, that includes two stories, two songs, a bedtime prayer then “lights out!” During the school year, we are strict about the two story books (or two chapters of a book), but in summertime, we’ll actually narrate stories to the boys from our own imagination. They always look forward to SUMMER STORIES! My husband and I, and Lolli, too, will alternate sharing a series of stories from our own childhoods, or make up a fictional one about whatever they are currently interested in (right now, dinosaurs and superheroes!). My narrations last summer were about “Bobby Superman” and included tales I came up with about Superman’s adventures as a young boy. We want our children to enjoy books as well, however, so we also create a summer “reading rally” chart for them, that tallies up how many books are read over the summer and if they get to 100, a prize from the toy store is involved! School is almost out, so they are eager to begin SUMMER STORIES and to start on their reading goals for the season.

We hope you like some of these ideas and would love to hear about your own #tinytraditions! Please tag @lolliandme on Instagram whenever you post about your favorite family activities!

Next Post

Loading Next Post