(repost from December, 2023, but it never goes out of style!)
Especially at this time of year, we read, hear, and think a lot about traditions. It can feel like significant pressure to make childhood as magical as possible by creating new traditions while also keeping up with old ones.
A perspective shift to consider in three kernels of something like wisdom from my experience as a parent:
> Even if you didn’t begin a particular tradition when your child was born, don’t feel like it’s too late to start if it calls to you as something that would be meaningful for your family.
When my oldest was two or three, I had the idea that I wished I’d taken a quick video every week on his birth day (Wednesday) for his first year—this was before phone cameras so imagine me with my camcorder–and then monthly on his birth date (16th) as a kind of diary. I felt like it was too late because I’d missed those early years, so I never did it, and man do I wish I had! So, please, start any time!
> Even if you *have* had a particular tradition since your child was born, don’t feel like you have to keep it going forever, or that it can’t change over time. If it’s no longer serving your family–if nobody is looking forward to it or it’s causing stress or anxiety–it can be changed or even eliminated. Instead of feeling like you’re disappointing your child, realize that you’re freeing up time and space for the activities and traditions that are meaningful and joyful for all of you.
> The simplest traditions might mean the most. The image for this post is what it looks like, as little sense as it probably makes without context–a square of wrapping paper on a doorknob. Each kid gets a different wrapping paper print on all Christmas gifts (so no need for tags!). One year on the spur of the moment, I taped a square onto their bedroom doorknobs so they’d know which was whose before they went downstairs on Christmas morning. Wouldn’t you know…this easy and free thing is one of the things they most look forward to about the season, even at ages 14 and 19!
I want to promise you that the childhood you are creating is just as magical as it needs to be!
I’m Jessica Brown, and at Clementine, we offer Montessori parent-child classes for ages 0-3+.
We learn and chat about topics like this one and more, both in and out of the classroom. If you’re local to Libertyville/northern Lake County, IL and are interested in finding more about our community, I’d love to hear from you!