MOST OF US HAVE FAMILY
TRADITIONS TO CELEBRATE THE
HOLIDAYS.
IN TODAY'S RELATIONSHIP
REBOOT WE ARE FINDING OUT WHY
THOSE TRADITIONS MAY BE MORE
IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER.
WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE OUR
RELATIONSHIP GURU WITH US.
I KNOW THIS IS A BIG THING FOR
YOU.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE KIND OF
TRADITIONS AND RITUALS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW BIG OR
HOW SMALL?
NO.
WE HAVE DECADES OF RESEARCH TO
POINT TO HOW IMPORTANT IT IS
FOR THE CHILDREN IN OUR FAMILY
BUT FOR EVERYBODY IN THE
FAMILY.
BESIDES IT MAKING US FEEL
GOOD WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH
SAY?
RITUALS AND TRADITIONS HAVE
A VAST ARRAY OF POSITIVE
EFFECTS
ON US.
FOR KIDS, IMPARTICULAR, IT
LET'S OUR KIDS KNOW THEY ARE
EMBEDDED IN A COMMUNITY.
FOR KIDS TO KNOW WHEN THINGS
AREN'T GOING WELL, LIKE I'M
PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, THEY
CREATE
INTERGENERATIONAL BONDS.
THEY GIVE PEOPLE A SENSE OF
BELONGING AND STABILITY.
THEY DO SO MUCH FOR FAMILIES.
EVEN WHEN IT IS HARD AND WE ARE
EXHAUSTED, WE NEED TO SUSTAIN
GOOD RITUALS.
LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS, IT IS
A PERFECT TIME TO THINK ABOUT
IT.
WHEN I GREW.
AS -- GREW UP AS A KID
CHRISTMAS MORNING KIDS HAD TO
WAIT UPSTAIRS WHILE MOM MADE
COFFEE AND DAD GOT THE CAMERA
READY.
MY KIDS SIT ON THE STAIRS.
MY WIFE INTRODUCED SOME THINGS
PART OF HER CHILDHOOD.
PLACES OF MEMORY MAKING ARE
THE HOLIDAYS.
YOU HAVE TIPS THAT THEY
HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT.
YOU SAY TO REALLY TAKE TIME TO
THINK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY'S
VALUES.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE RITUALS.
YOU ARE LISTENING TODAY
THINKING I WISH WE HAD MORE.
THINK CONSCIOUSLY ABOUT YOUR
FAMILY'S VALUES.
AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR KIDS AND
OUR FAMILIES GROWING UP INTO
ADULTHOOD, WHAT DO WE WANT THEM
TO TAKE WITH THEM?
IF WE VALUE SIMPLICITY OR
GENEROSITY THINK OF HOW TO
ADOPT A FAMILY DURING THE
HOLIDAYS.
OR HAVE A GIFT GIVING RITUAL,
WHERE YOU KID GETS ONE THING
THEY NEED, ONE THING THEY WANT
AND ONE THING TO READ.
IF WE KEEP TRADITIONS SIMPLE WE
FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER
THE STUFF.
KEEPING THEM INEXPENSIVE MEANS
WE'LL SUSTAIN THEM FOR A LONGER
PERIOD OF TIME.
IT WON'T BE A TEMPTATION TO
CUT IT FROM THE BUDGET.
YOU SAY KIDS AN IMPORTANT
PART OF THE TRADITION AND
RITUAL.
KEEPING KIDS AT THE CENTER
OF YOUR RITUAL.
WHEN WE GET PRETEENS THEY START
TO ROLL THEIR EYES OR THINK
THIS IS SILLY OR GOOFY.
WE KNOW THESE ARE SO IMPORTANT
FOR KIDS.
AND THAT AS KIDS GROW, THEY ARE
MORE LIKELY, FOR INSTANCE, AS
THEY ENTER YOUNG ADULTHOOD,
THEY VALUE THE TRADITIONS.
KEEP THE KIDS AT THE CENTER.
GIVE THEM A TASK.
THEY COULD MISS IT IF YOU
DIDN'T DO IT.
AS MUCH AS THEY ROLE THE EYES.
THEY WOULD MISS IT.
ONE IDEA IS TO ASK YOUR KIDS IN
THE FAMILY WHAT THEY LOVE MOST
ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS.
YOUR LAST ONE IS TRY ONE
THING NEW EACH YEAR.
WE DON'T WANT RITUALS TO GET
STALE.
TRYING SOMETHING NEW, EVEN IF
IT IS A FAILURE, IT IS OKAY.
IT IS ADDING FRESHNESS.
SOMETIMES FAILURES SORT OF HELP
US CREATE NEW TRADITIONS.
LIKE WHEN THE DOG EATS THE
HOLIDAY MEAL, THEN YOU ARE
ORDERING PIZZA.
THAT BECOMES THE NEW TRADITION.
I LOVE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT
KIDS.
OUR FAMILY JUST STARTED HAVING
KIDS AGAIN.
I FEEL LIKE ALL OF OUR
TRADITIONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
BACK THAT FELL OUT OF THE WAY
AS PEOPLE GREW UP AND BECAME
ADULTS.
KIDS KEEP IT ALIVE.
IT IS OKAY IF RITUALS GO
AWAY FOR A WHILE AND COME BACK.
WE ARE PAYING HOMAGE TO THE
FACT THAT WE ARE FAMILY AND WE
WANT
TO BE TOGETHER.
IN TIME OF CONFLICT THEY GIVE