I kept my son home from school on Thursday. Living in Canada means that American Thanksgiving is just another day, so if he is going to go to the Thanksgiving Day Parade, he will have to be absent.
As I teacher and a mom, I'm okay with parents keeping children home for family traditions. I should add that the days missed should be minimal. Much can be learned attending special events with loved. I don't mean learning in an academic sense, but an emotional sense. Andrew and I (along with a friend who is like a sister) sat on the sidewalk along Woodward Avenue for two hours, in awe of each new spectacle. All around us were families, some with younger children and some with ...teenagers and all seemed to be smiling and bonding. I cuddled and giggled with my son, a gift to both of us. My poor husband missed all the fun because he had to work (parent/teacher conferences - he really couldn't miss). Today, Andrew and I drew pictures of floats and balloons.
Growing up, my family never attended the parade or the fireworks. We did not take regular summer vacations. We had fun and had our own traditions, such as playing Trivial Pursuit at dinner. I always wished, however, that we had done some of those other things. I have determined that my own family will have traditions of going places and seeing things outside of our everyday world. I plan on dragging Andrew to that parade, even if he grows into a snarly teenager.
8 comments:
Hi Toni.
I think it's wonderful that you are building family traditions! I've preached and talked a lot on family traditions, and I think that's one of the most important things that families can do.
My siblings and I still clings to many of our family traditions. I can look back and see how my grandparents and parents kept these traditions, and I can see now how they are being passed down to the newest member of our family. I don't know, but it sort of gives me a good feeling to see the continuity in my family.
I'm glad you're doing this, and I'm sure Andrew won't forget.
Which family tradition do you most cherish, FM?
It's always the holiday traditions I remember the most.
X-mas for instance. The tree wouldn't be decorated until everyone including friends that were staying X-mas eve were there. Then the smallest to the biggest kids would start the decorating. Once that was done the adults would finish with the children helping and watching. No presents on X-mas eve, but on X-mas day it was always the same aunt that handed out the presents. It's the same way today with my sister being the one handing out presents.
I guess the tradition I like to see is that we're still having X-mas out at the family farm house. It was built during the 1850's and my family has had X-mases out there every year since.
That sounds wonderful. There's something very sweet about Christmas at a farm house. With all your relatives, it must be a big place.
I think it's great that you are building traditions with Andrew. And even when he's a surly teenager - deep down he'll still like it. (Although it is hard to imagine him ever being surly.)
Those are the things that Andrew is going to remember the most. I try very hard to do the same things every year even though my kids are all grown up now and it seems silly to pick out a Christmas tree together, or go apple picking in the fall. As they became teenagers they rolled their eyes a little about still doing them, but now they openly like it. The funniest thing is that during our family tree-trimming party we always have these teeny weenies in that grape jelly-chili sauce mixture that was popular at potlucks like 20 years ago. When he was little my son, Ben, thought that was the fanciest thing imaginable and insisted that we include it along with cheese and crackers and other nibbles. They quickly became "Ben's little weenies" which is, of course, the most fun thing ever to say.
Second Nature
Hi Mary.
Oh, he's pretty surly now in the morning:) I still love playing Trivial Pursuit, so I'm sure that Andrew will carry on some of these traditions.
Hey Laura,
You know that one day, Ben is going to ask you for the recipe so he can share it with his own children. That will be a great feeling.
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