[New] Foster Connection in 2023 with a New Family Tradition

A new year presents a great opportunity to start family traditions. January may be the coldest and darkest month of the year, but it’s also an excellent time to reconnect with your spouse and kids. Here are eight ideas to start the year on the right foot with a new family tradition.

1. Kick Off the Year with a Vision Board

What do you want 2023 to look like? Each member of the family can make their own or the family can work on a combined board—or both. Find graphics or words from magazines or the internet that represent your goals and add them to a poster board or cardstock. The board might include vacation destinations, paint colors for a room makeover, a soccer ball graphic for spring tryouts, extended family who is visiting or a new puppy. Some people even choose a focus word for their board such as growth, love, kindness or explore as a theme for the year.

2. Schedule a Family Game Night

Some of our best family memories are when we’re gathered around the table, playing a game. Take turns letting everyone pick—board games, cards, dice games, even multiplayer video games. No need to have a Monopoly marathon unless your family is into that! Switch things up with games that include a night out—go bowling, play pickleball or try an escape room.

3. Set Aside Time for a Monthly Parent/Child Date

Dedicate time for each child to spend one-on-one time with each parent. It is a great opportunity to share common interests and catch up on what’s going on in each other’s lives. Tailor the time to the personalities and preferences of each child. Consider trying new restaurants, hitting a bucket of balls, getting your nails done, hiking, biking or tackling a hands-on project together. Just make sure there is space to talk and, more importantly, listen.

Read more about why parent/child dates are important in our Parenting with Purpose article at www.sandiegofamily.com/parenting/ why-parent-child-dates-are-important.

4. Start a Series: TV, Book, Podcast or Movie

Don your pajamas, grab some popcorn and gather one night a week to engage in a family-friendly series. For TV or movies, consider documentaries like “Pick of the Litter” or prequel series related to popular movies like Star Wars. Podcasts provide an old-fashioned, listen-around-the-radio feel with series like “Wow in the World” and “Storynory.” Reading books aloud is another fun way to experience a series. Try Magic Tree House, Harry Potter or The Great Shelby Holmes and take turns reading aloud.

5. Try a New Recipe Each Week

We are big foodies in my family and I attribute that to the fact that we’ve always encouraged the kids to try new recipes. It’s easy to make “kid food” for picky eaters, but if the kids are part of menu planning and meal prep, they’ll likely expand their palates.

Offer food “flights” that include new ingredients and old favorites. Think pasta with three sauce options or chicken sliders with three different sauces (barbecue, teriyaki, honey mustard). Make a game of it with score sheets and suggestions for next time. It might be fun to purchase a new cookbook together that features recipes that appeal to both parents and kids. Try Fast. Simple. Delicious. 60 No-Fuss, No-Fail Comfort Food Recipes to Amp Up Your Week by Tara Ippolito (creator of Al Dente Diva). It’ll be hard to resist the family-friendly ItalianAmerican dishes and your family will enjoy trying the recipes together.

6. Volunteer Together

Volunteering is a win-win. Your family spends quality time together while helping someone in need and instilling the importance of lifelong volunteerism in children. Volunteer opportunities can include helping at animal shelters or local events, playing games with residents of an assisted living facility, setting up a community garden, collecting food, toys, clothing and other items for donation to local charities and more. Get tons of ideas at www.sandiegofamily.com/thingsto-do/donations-volunteers-and-localfundraisers.

7. Start (or Continue) a Gratitude Jar

Several years ago, my son made a blessings jar at church during the holidays. It included all the things that he considered blessings—family, video games, our pets, etc. After the new year, I emptied the jar and started filling it with events and moments our family had during the year—crazy hair day at school, a winning goal and a new family car. On New Year’s Day the following year, we took turns reading each folded piece of paper. It was wonderful to relive those memories throughout the year—it’s been a great tradition for our family year after year.

Get instructions to make a gratitude jar at www.sandiegofamily.com/for-thekids/crafts-for-kids/thankful-jars.

8. Celebrate Family Culture

For many, family culture is a lost “art,” perhaps in part because somewhere along the line, relatives stopped sharing stories. If you don’t know the language, foods, traditions or celebrations of your heritage, reach out to older family members and ask questions. Ask about their childhoods, write down shared memories and favorite family recipes. Or, research your family history to find out what nationality you are with genealogy sites such as Ancestry. Practice some of these new cultural traditions, try incorporating them into daily life and do your part to help those traditions live on. v • • •

Pam Molnar is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family and trying new things.

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