Now that my children have grown up and are beginning families of their own I have realized some important traditions that we shared when they were younger.
Early in their childhood I began purchasing Christmas tableware to use during the month of December.
My main goal with this was to add a little touch of the season to each meal we shared together during December.
I didn't buy expensive dishes; these were after Christmas clearance items that I couldn't resist each year.
They were more child-oriented with colorful Santa figures and bold Christmas patterns that I thought the kids would like, not the fancy "do not touch" items that appeal to grownups.
Each breakfast, lunch and dinner during December the kids insisted on using their "Santa dishes".
Many a table was set with these brightly patterned, mismatched Christmas dishes.
Early on I realized that this was an easy way to get the kids excited about sharing meals together and teaching them how to set the table properly.
They didn't much care about the table settings throughout the rest of the year but at Christmas time they were very excited to get out their Christmas dishes every day! They would even make their own little centerpieces with random Christmas decorations and tree ornaments.
Each child kind of adopted their favorite items over the years.
My youngest son had an unexplainable attachment to the gravy boat bowl.
He shared with me, after he'd grown, that he loved that gravy bowl because Thanksgiving and Christmas was the only time of the year that we brought it out.
He says it made him feel rich and fancy.
He's the proud owner of that gravy bowl now! It's the simple things we overlook in the moment that our children have such fond memories of.
My oldest son, now grown, admits his affection for the little silver cheese and butter spreaders.
The handles were shaped with holiday figures and we always used these with the cheese balls and holiday dips.
They probably cost me all of $1.
98 when I picked them up on clearance one year after Christmas.
He laughs when he tells me now that they were the first "knives" I actually let him use by himself and he's never forgotten that.
He has those "knives" at his own home now.
His children will be using them this year.
These simple little memories (and countless more) were built upon each year by simply having a few holiday tableware items that we only brought out for the month of December.
Ultimately, it's the memories that we created while using them that became precious.
If you've got young children at home, start some traditions of your own.
You'll treasure them forever! As a parent of grown children, I look back and realize the importance of the family traditions we shared with our children.
I only wish I had built more traditions that they could treasure.
Learn from my experience and begin building simple traditions with your kids this year.
Rarely is it the gifts that you broke the budget with that they remember; it's the little things and the time spent together that lasts!