GTKY: Favorite Tradition You Plan to Uphold

mamaber2204 · April 2019

What tradition are you most excited about sharing with your little one(s)? Can be an existing tradition or one you're planning to start.

threes_companypu · April 2019

I'm excited to keep my family's Christmas Eve tradition going. Every year before bed we got to open 3 gifts: 1 book, 1 pair of PJs, and 1 ornament. Then we would wear read the book and wear the PJs. I love decorating the tree every year and revisiting all my old ornaments. I also want to start the tradition of putting our decorations up Black Friday and kicking the season off with a Christmas movie.

kaceyallan · April 2019

@duewithpu2 I want to start something similar! I love to read and really want to instill that love in my kids. I think the Christmas PJ's and a book are a perfect Christmas Eve gift.

I also want to go camping with the family every summer. Spend time outdoors, at a lake, riding bikes, kayaking, cooking supper over the fire. All that good stuff.

threes_companypu · April 2019

@kayceallan I would love to start a camping tradition! I think DS is finally old enough (3) to take camping. Now to get DH on board!

zuuls_mom · April 2019

Like @duewithpu2 I plan on starting a Christmas tradition of PJs on Christmas Eve, but I think I want to do a movie and hot cocoa too. We already decorate on Black Friday with my IL's so I plan to continue that as well with the kids as they grow.

We're also going to continue our tradition of visiting the family land in North Dakota every summer. It's so beautiful and relaxing out there. I can't wait to make more memories out there.

janat1717 · April 2019

@duewithpu2 We did PJs in my family too on Christmas Eve. Have not kept it up with DS because he refuses to wear actual PJs/is crazy picky on all clothes. Something I hope to start in the future though. We recently have started saying what we are thankful for about our day at dinner and DS loves it.

septoctkids · April 2019

A family tradition whenever a new baby arrives is to purchase that child the book On the Night You Were Born. It is packed into the hospital bag. Each person that visits the baby for the first time at the hospital or when the baby gets home signs the book. Such a nice keepsake. We will continue this with our next little one. My son has one and all my nephews.

We also do matching pjs on Christmas Eve. So fun! We do a trip to bar harbor Maine each summer as another family tradition along with camping trips.

blitzybee · April 2019

Oh this is giving me great new ideas for some new traditions! This past Christmas, I bundled my son up in the car and we drove around with Christmas music on and found really fun neighborhoods with lights. There is an area near us where the streets are lit up for blocks and we drove under the lights (tech center for you Coloradans).

I did not grow up celebrating Jewish holidays, but have Jewish heritage. This past year, we celebrated Hanukkah-well, to the best of my ability without knowing the traditions that well! I got a couple of children’s books to read about it, we lit the candles each night, said the prayer (I don’t know the prayers so we FaceTimed a relative for the prayers) and then played games together until the candles burned down-including the dreidel of course! My son LOVED it and the family time 8 days in a row was wonderful. We celebrate all of the Christian holidays, but that new tradition was fun!

mamaber2204 · April 2019

@blitzybee How did I not realize you were near DTC?! I'm just south of DTC! And I work in DTC!

blitzybee · April 2019

@mamaber2204 oh my gosh. We’ve probably passed one another before or have friends in common. Too funny! I’m thinking a play-date or wine date for mamas (after the babies are born of course!) may be in order one of these days! @zuuls_mom

mamaber2204 · April 2019

@blitzybee Yes! @zuuls_mom and I have already talked about doing a hiking and fro-yo date with the babies once they're here - you should come, too!

blitzybee · April 2019

Yeah count me in 😁

zuuls_mom · April 2019

I'm so sad you guys live so far from me (Thornton), but I am SO down still to get together for hiking (even though to be quite honest I am not super fit haha), fro-yo and/or wine! Yay, friends!!

mamaber2204 · April 2019

@zuuls_mom Eh, none of us will be feeling very fit come October.

Can't wait!!!

cammie0526 · April 2019

I'll join you guys in spirit from way over here in MD

kgg2241 · April 2019

Awe I love this thread. I love the On the Night You Were Born idea, @septoctkids. I've never heard of that. Did you just buy a blank notebook, or are these like actual books you buy?

We stay at a local ski resort for a week every summer with DH's family and I am so excited to continue the tradition with my kids. Otherwise, I'm hoping to come up with some new holiday traditions. We didn't really have a lot growing up, so I'm going to steal all yours!

cammie0526 · April 2019

I recent heard or read somewhere (can't remember where - could have been on this board for all I remember) that when a child says they no longer believe in Santa, the parents pull him aside and tell him that he's finally old enough to learn the secret of Santa. They explain that St. Nick was a nice man a long time ago who gave toys to orphans (you could skip over that part if you're not particularly religious), and now to keep that tradition alive there are lots of Santas - Mommy's a Santa, Daddy's a Santa, etc. Now that the child is old enough he gets to be a Santa too, but he has to keep it a secret from the little kids who still believe. Then they take him to the store to pick out a present to give to his sibling/ a friend/ charity "from Santa".

It just really stuck with me and I can't wait to start this tradition with my own kids.

lillywonderland · April 2019

We will be taking this LO home in the same outfit that we took DS home in. 🥰

So far DS and I have worn matching PJs on Christmas and I’d like to continue that for as long as he lets me! 🤣

I think we’re also going to do an international trip with this LO (because baby passport photos are the CUTEST!!) We did a Europe trip with DS when he was 9mo. On this trip we won’t be bringing DS though - so it’ll be our time to soak in new baby solo. And also travel a little lighter 😂.

RedBreast35 · April 2019

@cammie0526 I'm in MD too!! <shhh, don't tell the rest of the internet that!!>

cheshyre319 · April 2019

My husband's family celebrates St Nick's night early in December where St Nick brings advent calendars and pajamas and other holiday stuff so they can be ready for Christmas.

My family has always been big into Halloween so we decorate early and watch movies and very much count down to Halloween.

Aside from holidays, we have lots of little things that were just fun growing up. At grandma's house, lunch was always build your own sandwiches in the summer and 9pm is ice cream time. Tomatoes are always planted in spring and gardening is a big deal (even when they were just in pots on my apartment porch in college). Oh! And when you move from a crib to a "big bed" you get a quilt made just for you.

kaceyallan · April 2019

@cheshyre319 Awh your childhood sounds so wonderful!

I love all those little traditions!

septoctkids · April 2019

@kgg2241 it’s an actual story book. It’s on sale right now for $8.10 originally $17.99!! link below

https://www.amazon.com/Night-You-Were-Born/dp/0312346069/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=28GRSYTBDW3PI&keywords=on+the+night+you+were+born+hardcover+book&qid=1555603924&s=gateway&sprefix=on+the+night+tou+were+born+hard&sr=8-1

ternsetc · April 2019

I love reading about these traditions! I've always been bad about Christmas, the only thing we really did when I was a kid was go out in the woods and cut a tree - but I really loved decorating it, so feel I should put some effort into putting up lights and decorations this coming year. As a kid, my mom's crunch time was Christmas (worked for the PO) so it wasn't a particularly relaxing season. I used to make a gingerbread house every year with a neighbor when I was little, and I loved that, so that's something I want to start with DS and this LO.

And generally, I want to teach my kids to cook/bake - I learned as an adult and now really enjoy it (the process and the results). DH's family did cook as kids, so it would be carrying on that tradition even though it's a new one for me.

threes_companypu · April 2019

@ternsetc I love the idea of teaching your kids to cook and bake. DS loves to help me cook, and I try to find little ways for him to contribute. I'm hoping he turns out better than DH who can't boil water.

cheshyre319 · April 2019

@ternsetc @duewithpu2 teaching your kids to cook and bake with you sounds like so much fun!

nightdreamr13 · April 2019

@RedBreast35 @cammie0526 I'm from md too!

@septoctkids when do you go to Maine? We really wanted to go at the end if may and someone told us the black flies are horrendous that time of year

trying to figure out when to go.

sparkles5275 · April 2019

My mom used to get my brothers and me a new Christmas ornament each year. We each had our own series from Hallmark. I must have about 15 from the Nostalgic Houses and Shops series. My older brother had the Frosty and Friends. I think it's still going all these years later.

mamaber2204 · April 2019

New tradition I started w/ MH: We get a new ornament each year and try to get it from somewhere memorable or have it feature something significant for us. 2017 I made from DS's hospital hat and bracelet. 2014 was an item we received as a wedding gift. 2018 we chose as a family at a Christmas event we had fun at.

Family dinners are major tradition for us. We eat together and at the table as a rule. I love the idea of sharing something each person is grateful for at dinner each night. I'm planning to start that once DS is a little more verbal.

I stole this idea from a former boss: Each morning when I tell DS goodbye I say "Let's try to be humble, honest and good humored!". When he's bigger the idea is that he'll say it.

I really like the Christmas Eve PJ opening tradition many of you mentioned! I might need to steal that one!

janat1717 · April 2019

@cheshyre319 We actually celebrate St. Nicholas day too. My family always has. We do the thing where you put your shoes outside your door at night and they are filled with oranges, nuts and some chocolate.

septoctkids · April 2019

@nightdreamr13 we usually go late July or early August. We’ve never had a problem with the black flies.

swamplass · April 2019

Nothing really to contribute here but loving this thread! @cheshyre319 the quilt tradition is so sweet. Now I just need to learn how to quilt...

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