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My family tradition
We have three beautiful children. I grew up in an Italian home with three wonderful brothers. My husband has two siblings and parents that divorced when he was 15. My husband and I are well aware of the importance of family traditions. It brings a sense of stability to an ever changing environment, changing jobs, new schools, new friends, new homes, broken families, serious illness and even death. This is why we wanted a tradition that our family could be proud of and truly benefit from. My husband and I have some of the more common traditions that we have carried on to our children, some of which are allowing the children to prepare breakfast in bed on Mothers and Fathers Day (which could be quite amusing in a 2-story home with stairs), passing on the middle name Abraham to the first born son and cutting down a live Christmas tree just after Thanksgiving. These are wonderful traditions and I hope they continue on for a very long time but we decided that we wanted to start a family tradition that is different and unique from all the others, something the kids will look back on with fond memories and look forward to with their own children. We decided that on each child's ninth birthday, we would present them with a map of the United States and allow them to plan out over the course of the next year where ever they wanted to go, whatever they wanted to do with one parent for one week when they turned 10 years old. Once the rest of the family and friends found out about our plans, they were very helpful in giving ideas and suggestions to that child for their entire ninth year. Each ninth year of our children's lives were very exciting. My oldest son, the intelligent, thought provoking and much more mature than his age, child, decided on Washington DC. Thank God it was in September of 2000, before 9/11. He was able to tour the White House, the Pentagon and the Smithsonian to name a few. Culture, heritage, and-oh, yes-all the inspiring monuments and museums you expect. For a ten year old boy to tour the FBI building is pretty spectacular. Then, 2 years later, it was my second son's turn. They say the second is the most carefree, adventurous and giving. My second child decided he wanted to see the dinosaur museum in Colorado and spend multiple days at the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park with his Father. He was later able to recall first hand in his school report all about the Royal Gorge Bridge and his favorite, the Alpine Slides. Finally, seven years later, my daughter's turn. Now my husband went with the boys on their trips so now it was my turn. I have to admit that I did somewhat encourage her on her decision a bit. We decided, I mean, she decided to go to the largest shopping mall in the world, the West Edmonton Mall in Canada! Now this was technically out of the United States but traditions can be adjusted. My daughter and I spent a week in a mall in Canada. She loved experiencing the different culture there and our hotel was attached to the mall where there was everything you could imagine to do. While there was snow outside, we were swimming and going down water slides in the inside water park. We saw movies at the theater, went ice skating, went to the inside Amusement park and rode roller-coasters, pet a live penguin and enjoyed the flamingos at the zoo. We ate at a different restaurant every night and yes, of course, we shopped to our hearts delight. Our children are growing quickly and we have very few regrets and many wonderful memories, another purpose of family traditions. I believe we started something special and I hope the kids are able to carry this on to their children and generations following. Change doesn't necessarily have to be a difficult thing and in the case of starting new traditions, it's a wonderful thing. |
My husband and son...fun memories!
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This intel was contributed by teriana
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May, 2012
2008
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2009
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2012
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