How to Help Your Clients Create Meaningful Holiday Traditions

‍As a social psychologist, author, and Psychology Today contributor, Susan Newman, Ph.D. understands the added stress the holidays can create in her clients’ lives. To help, she created a framework for infusing more meaning (and memories) into the season. Read below to learn more.

The Importance of Creating Meaningful Holiday Traditions

The holidays are a time for togetherness. Yet, for many families, it’s also a stressful season ruled by social obligations, gift giving (and shopping), extra travel, and more. For families with young children, the unrelenting demands of the holidays can turn the season of joy into the season of stress.

Whatever and however you celebrate your holidays, it is important to include rituals and family traditions. Not only do they foster togetherness, they also serve as warm memories for your children to look back on.

Five activities that focus on family and gratitude

1. Create a special meal

Establish a traditional holiday breakfast in your house – coffee cake, sticky buns, omelets, or jelly-filled crepes – that you reserve for the season.

2. Lead with gratitude

Make any dinner special by taking time to reflect on what people are most grateful for, allow each child to make a toast, or, if your family prays before meals, let the kids lead the prayer.

3. Bake something sweet

Baking is an impressive and splendid labor of love that’s worth the time in the memory department. Bake and decorate cookies as a family. Then use the sweet treats as the centerpiece on the dinner table — children will delight in showing off their work to friends and family — or feature them on your annual holiday card. 

4. Pen a new family legend

Notice what activities capture your children’s attention and turn them into a fun short story about your family that features different family members, their achievements, and future goals. Then read the story together as part of one evening’s festivities.

 5. Turn the tree into a timeline

Handmade ornaments can make the most special keepsakes. Each year, create new ornaments together as a family to add to the tree and share stories about where ornaments from years past came from.  

For more meaningful holiday ideas and parent-child bonding tips, including suggestions for birthdays and special occasions, read Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Children Feel Special Every Day.

Copyright Susan Newman, Ph.D. Republished with permission.

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