8 Great Family Traditions to Start in 2025 BY PAM MOLNAR PHOTO BY FREEPIK.COM
A new year presents a great opportunity to start a family tradition. January is the coldest and darkest month of the year, but it is also the chance at a new beginning. Instead of letting the quiet of the post-holiday fill with mindless scrolling on electronics, take this opportunity to reconnect with your spouse and kids. MAKE A VISION BOARD What do you want 2025 to look like? You can make one for each member of the family or a combined one for everyone. Use a poster board and add graphics or words from magazines or the internet to display your goals. Your board might include vacation destinations, paint colors for a room makeover, a soccer ball graphic for spring tryouts, your extended family who is visiting, or a new puppy. Some people even choose words like growth,
self-love, or explore as the theme for their vision boards. INCORPORATE A FAMILY GAME NIGHT Some of our best family memories have been of us gathered around the table playing a game. Although game nights don’t need to be a marathon of Monopoly, you should choose a night with the least amount of activities. Take turns allowing everyone to pick a game—board games, cards, dice and tile games or even multiplayer video games. Don’t forget about games that include a night out like bowling, pickle ball, or escape rooms. START A FAMILY SERIES Grab your pajamas and popcorn and gather one night a week to watch a TV series that is appropriate for your family. Don’t forget to consider documentaries like Pick of the
Litter or movie series such as Star Wars . YouTube offers bedtime stories such as Pete the Cat and Peppa Pig . Podcasts give you an old-fashioned-listen-around-the-radio feel with series like Wow in the World or Storynory . Reading series like Harry Potter or Magic Tree House are also a fun family night that can be read aloud by the adults or the kids depending on their age. TRY A NEW RECIPE EACH WEEK My family is full of foodies and I attribute that to the fact that we encouraged the kids to try new recipes. It is so easy to make “kid food” for picky eaters, but if the kids are a part of the menu planning and meal prep, they might expand their tastes. Offer food flights by adding new ingredients to old favorites. Think pasta with three sauce options or sliders with three different chicken fillings like BBQ, Teriyaki, or
58 DECEMBER2024 | BRPARENTS.COM
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