Yearly Family Banner
So, it’s the last week of the holidays - can I get a hallelujah?! The Christmas decorations are slowly disappearing, the last of the cardboard and toy packaging is being thrown out, the kids have you at your wits end with their sugar rushes and constant fighting....and FINALLY, January has arrived. A new year and a fresh start (boooo all you new year Scrooge’s who spew negativity over our reflection and commitment to change moments). But wait! There’s still 5 more days until the kids go back to school - damn. And maybe you’re like me, stuck at home whilst your partner heads back to work today?
Whatever your situation, I’m here to share one of our family traditions that I started a few years back. It’s fun, cheesy and sometimes messy but it’s a great activity to help keep the little ones occupied and help you have 10 more minutes of sanity. Every January we attempt to have ‘Family Unity Day.’ I read about it in a book named ‘Family Traditions’ by Meg Cox. I LOVE this book and highly recommend it - it’s packed full of so many beautiful rituals as activities to use in your family. I bought it before I even had kids and I get a little choked up everytime I think back to that newly married gal and now I’m actually getting to do this stuff with my beautiful children. It’s available to buy via this link but i found it in America so there may be a hefty shipping fee:
Now, family unity day can involve many things. First of all you need to get into the mindset that imagines your family as a sort of tribe or team. What would your family song or chant be? Two years ago Mark invented a rap for us all which we posted online. You can watch it here: https://vimeo.com/198074325
As well as inventing a family chant, we also create our yearly family banner. This includes our last name stretched across a huge poster in bright colours and then everyone picks a corner or space to make their own! We write our names, our goals, draw pictures of our favourite things and use paint to put our handprint next to it!
It’s a great activity because everyone of all ages can join in. Even the youngest family members can get help leaving a hand or footprint. My kids love participating in this activity and this is how we spent the 2nd of January 2019. My oldest girl chose to draw a unicorn & a mermaid as well as trying to write her own name which she has been practicing a lot over the past few months. My son drew a lot of scribbles and helped me draw a spiderman since that is his obsession at the moment! I drew a rainbow for my youngest since she is our ‘rainbow baby’ and a horse because she is obsessed with the Netflix tv show ‘spirit.’ I drew a Dahlia because she is the centre of my universe as well as a method spray bottle which comes at a close second haha! As hubby is working he will do his this evening but you can count on there being something batman or football related.
The last thing we do is decide on a family motto or goal for the new year. Our 2019 motto is ‘Our Family matters most.’ Hubby and I have decided on this particular motto because we know that life can be so busy and stressful and as a result, we sometimes we forget to focus on what’s most important and to us that’s our family - every member living under our roof. We love and care for others but our family here at home should be our main priority and focus. And so we’re both going to work hard to remember that this year.
And once everything is complete, the kids have finished throwing glitter and scribbling over all the writing, all that’s left to do is hang our banner on a wall - loud and proud for all to see who visits, but most importantly for each of us to walk past everyday and be reminded of our goals, the things that make us happy and each other.
Happy new year for 2019 & have a go at having your own family unity day!