This document discusses creating family rituals and traditions to promote family togetherness. It provides tools to help families define rituals, describe the benefits of rituals, and identify three types of rituals: family celebrations, routines, and traditions. Rituals are patterned interactions that make people feel happier, loved, and part of their family. The document encourages families to consciously develop rituals and traditions that can be passed to future generations.

1. Families Making Changes
Parent Project

2. Problem
In today’s society,
changing social and economic
patterns limits family’s ability to
promote family togetherness.

3. Purpose
To prepare families to
consciously develop family
rituals/traditions that can be
transmitted to future
generations.

4. Objectives
Give families the tools to:
• Define family rituals
• Describe the benefits of family rituals
• Describe the three (3) types of family rituals
• Create a family tradition

5. Dr. Barbara H. Fiese
Research
 suggested that families that carry
discovered that out regular patterned interactions
that fluctuate over time,
rituals make people  produce well-adjusted
feel happier, children
better loved and with greater self-
esteem and
strongly a part of confidence to go
families. out into the world.

6. Penny Game
Ice Breaker
Work together in a group and describe a
penny
Such as
Who is on the penny?
Is it his head or his head and
shoulders?

7. Examine Penny
 What things did you have right or
wrong?
 What are some other things that you see or use all of
the time, but don’t notice the details of?
 If you saw your rules, creed or ritual all of the time,
would you know them?

8. Share POSITIVE
childhood experiences
Did you classify these experiences as rituals or
traditions?
Define family rituals

9. Family Rituals
Behaviors or activities involving most or
all members of the family
occur occasionally,
have a symbolic meaning for family members and
are valued by the participants
so that they would like the activity to be carried on
in the future.

10. Benefits of
Family Traditions
A Way to Enact Values
Connection
Identity
Predictability

11. A Way to Enact Values
 Allow families to demonstrate
 what they believe and
 hold dear.
 Provide families with an opportunity
 to make their values concrete
 to express them regularly
with one another.

12. Connection
 Provide a planned content and
time to connect
 emotionally and
 physically
with other members of the family,
 sharing time,
 caring and
 conversation.

13. Identity
• A sense of
– who belongs to the family,
– what is special about the family and
– where one belongs in the family.
• Allow families to form a unique family identity
– that helps them to feel they belong in a special
way.

14. Predictability
Families need; especially children
 A sense of regularity and order
– Bedtime rituals or time to talk with a spouse each
day become
meaningful events to
look forward to.
.

15. Types of Family Rituals
• Family Celebrations
• Family Routines
• Family Traditions

16. Family Celebrations
 Rituals in which the family observes holidays or occasions
 are widely practiced and observed broadly by the cultural
groups and
 are special in the family.
 They provide an opportunity for
larger group identification.

17. Family Celebrations
 New Years
 Fourth of July
 Thanksgiving
 Religions holiday (i.e.
Christmas, Easter and the
Passover Seder)
 Funerals
 Weddings
 Baptisms
 Bar mitzvahs

18. Family Routines
 Rituals which are most frequently enacted but least
consciously planned by the participants.
 They organize everyday life and define family
roles and responsibility .

19. Family Routines
Bedtime routines for children
Customary treatment of mutual request
Discipline of children
Everyday greetings and goodbyes
Leisure activities
Regular meals

20. Family Traditions
 Activities which are less culture-specific,
 moderately organized and
 more unique to each family.
 Gives the family the
responsibility of determining
how they will celebrate.

21. Family Traditions
• Activities with kin
• Anniversary
• Birthday customs
• Parties with special food and music
• Participation in community events
• Summer vacations
• Visits to and from extended family members

22. Creating Family Rituals
Video Clip

23. Create a Family Tradition
Reminder – It’s not about winning an award on having the most
Too many traditions dilute the importance and jeopardize true meaning and value.
1. Think of spiritual-based traditions
 Praying for meals
 Family Bible study
2. Think of meaningful routines/rituals that currently exist
 Favorite holidays
 It’s okay to have silly traditions (i.e., Backwards Day)
3. Think of other families traditions that you have admired
 Feel free to borrow and edit them

24. Debrief
 What did you learn about your family rituals and
traditions?
 Do you have any current family routines that you will
implement into family rituals and traditions?
 What goals would you like to set for building your family
tradition?