CRISS CROSS APPLESAUCE – CREATING MEMORIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY TRADITIONS

I remember when my two children were little, they got to stuff the Thanksgiving turkey every year, and I was in charge of making the gravy. Even to this day, my 27 and 25 year olds talk about stuffing those turkeys early in the morning! It is a tradition they will never forget, and one that they will one day carry on with their own children. Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends and for traditions. It is important for young children to have experiences in their lives that they can relate to different times of the year. November is a great month to start new traditions in your family, if you don’t already have some established. Children can help with the meal, bake pies, make tamales, or even be in charge of setting the table and assigning seats. Research has proven that it is tradition that helps to build strong family relationships between generations. Our generation of young children today do not seem to value traditions the same way their parents and grandparents did growing up. However, traditions give a sense of routine and consistency in a young child that they can look forward to each year. If the child helps in creating the traditions, it will give them a sense of pride and belonging in their extended family. Don’t worry about things being perfect, because they probably won’t turn out that way with a young child helping you, but it is the act of helping adults that they will remember more than the way the food tasted, who sat by who, or what type of gifts family members brought them. Traditions are also a way of honoring those who have gone before us. It is my grandmother’s turkey dressing recipe that I use every year even to this day, even though she has been gone for many years. It reminds me of our very special holidays together. You don’t have to have a house full of family and enough food to feed an army to start traditions either. Your tradition could be to go to the community Thanksgiving feast every year and give thanks for the people and things in your life that you treasure most. It could be serving food to others at a community feast or watching football with uncles and grandpa and eating ham sandwiches. You could take a Thanksgiving meal to someone who is unable to cook for themselves each year or to a family who doesn’t have enough to eat. Those types of traditions are sure to bring tears of joy and many smiles to all involved, and it teaches your child a sense of generosity and authentic care for others. As you can see, traditions don’t need to be fancy to be meaningful. This November, I challenge you to sit down with your child and talk to them about their favorite Thanksgiving memories and create a few new traditions this year. I wonder what they will come up with?