Make Thanksgiving traditions work for your family!
As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s talk about how to make this holiday have more meaning by becoming more “thinkful” and intentional with our traditions, decor, activities, and food.
Michele Bettridge shared ideas that give us a chance to create lasting memories with family and friends while celebrating gratitude in unique and thoughtful ways.
by Michele Bettridge
Like everything I promote at Giddy Grandma, we start with “thinking” about a plan before the holiday starts. What do we want the outcome to be this year? What traditions, food, decor, and activities do we want to repeat from previous years. What will create the overall experience we are wanting?
Traditions
Don’t be afraid to ask what traditions you currently have are most meaningful to your family. Also, don’t feel you have to re-create new ones each year. Part of what reinforces tradition is the repetition.
Be thoughtful about what you want your family to feel, learn, or remember. Be flexible with others traditions as your family grows. I rarely have a holiday on the actual holiday so that my adult children can visit other parents or have their own traditions.
Traditions could include food, decor, or activities.
Food
What are some of the guests favorite recipes that you make, have been passed down through generations that you could teach your children and grandchildren? I spent some time one year the night before Thanksgiving with a young granddaughter that wanted to spend time with me learning about my mother’s recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing.
Take it to another level by having each family member bring a handwritten recipe card with the recipe they are sharing. You could also give the gift of an ancestor’s recipe with their handwriting.
Decor
This can be paper or pretty. You decide what is tradition or convenient. There are fun ways to make it memorable either way.
Use photos as place settings or leave a thank you note on each place setting telling each guest why you are thankful for them. What a treasure. Decorate with pictures of family members that are not able to be there or have left us. Start a discussion about what you love about each person in the photo. You could start a story circle about those people and each guest could share a memory.
Activities
Lastly, make sure you have a few activities to keep the little ones busy and having fun. These can take place while all the guests are arriving or after the meal. Be “thinkful” about all the different age groups who are attending.
Activities can range from teaching them/gifting them a three minute gratitude journal and give them a short message about how having gratitude has changed your life.
You can share a history of the holiday and perhaps introducing thoughts about the story from the view of the Native Americans.
Coloring and games are always a great way to keep the little ones busy.
With a “thinkful” approach, we can create a holiday filled with intention, joy, and gratitude that everyone will remember.
Find more ideas from Michele on Instagram, @thegiddygrandma.
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