Year Round Family Traditions: Family Bonding

Family Mail Boxes-  Kids and parents both love getting mail (aside from junk mail).  Having mailboxes in the home where family members can write messages and draw pictures for each other is a great opportunity to send encouraging, uplifting, and loving notes...  these messages can also be great for children who aren't sure how to say something face to face, let them express how they feel through writing it out.  The cards/letters don't have to be long, a simple message is just as meaningful!  The mailboxes can be crafted by each family member and kept somewhere safe.  It's important not to forget to have a station where the family members will be able to write each other.  This writing area should have scrap paper, note cards, pens, pencils, markers, envelopes, crayons, stickers, etc.    

Family Newsletter-   This can be done as often as you like, we will start off doing one newspaper monthly.  The kids can all write sections, help mom and dad write sections when they are too little, and even draw pictures for the newspaper.  The paper can cover their newest achievements, their friends, family activities, etc.  Take the time to explain the 5 W's and 1 H of writing stories whenever they are old enough to start writing their own: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How?!?!?  These newspapers can then be given to extended family members.  If we get responses from our "readers"  we can use them and address them in future issues.  Just let it be extremely creative and crafty, especially when they are younger so it's a fun project each month.  Let them paint on the newsletter, put stickers on it, draw, color, and make it a little messy.  Make sure you keep a copy of each month in a scrapbook for your own keepsake.

Family Cookbook-  This will be an ongoing project as we discover new recipes we love.  Each family member will rate our meals with a star rating and possibly write a review whenever it's something new we're trying.  The cookbook can also be an opportunity to get some friends and family's favorite recipes gathered all in one place.  We'll take note of where the different recipes are coming from on their page.  We can also add stories to some of the recipes if they have special meaning, many times recipes are linked to fond times that we want to remember.  At the end of the year we can put the cookbook together and get it printed out complete with pictures, reviews, star ratings, stories, and recipes from all our friends and family.  Continue to create and add to this cookbook every year or make a new one when there is enough new content to make it worth it.  Encourage others to make notes in their copies and add to them so that the next time you get it printed you can add their thoughts!  Don't be afraid to make the book more ABOUT the family and less about the recipes.  Let the kids in on the fun, have them draw pictures and add to the cookbook, but don't forget to have them sign and date their work.  I loved some of the tips http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=330731 gave about creating a family cookbook.