Beginnings and Endings - Family Rituals For Summer's End and School's Start

Rituals. When we think of them, we often think of church

, temple, or synagogue. We think sacred and mysterious. However, rituals are really important parts of everyday living that sanctify the ordinary. Seemingly ordinary experiences take on a deeper, extraordinary meaning with a ritual. Why? Because rituals are intentional and by their very nature they symbolize important meaning. Saying goodbye to summer and welcoming a new school year can moving and significant when ritualized.

Children and teens love the recognition of a transition. But with hectic schedules, it's often easy to lose track of the special nature of events in our lives. Take time to show you value the current transition. Here are three ideas-one of them may work for your family or compile a few of the ideas to design your own family ritual!

1. Hold two special family night dinners.

One week have a Farewell to Summer dinner. It might include hot dogs, grilled vegetables, home-made ice cream-those foods we associate with summer. As you eat, each family member says goodbye to summer and talks about their one special summer memory. The following week, have a Welcome to School Dinner. The kids' favorite foods can be combined with decorations that associate with school, such as a pad and pencil by each place setting; place cards written by the children in crayons, etc. Everyone talks about what they are looking forward to during the upcoming school year.

2. Have a celebration meeting.

At this family meeting, you will celebrate what you learned over the summer and then discuss what you hope to learn the coming school year-parents included! Enjoy a special dessert and spend some time querying the children about what they learned and how they grew over these last three months. By probing what they expect to learn this school year, you give them the opportunity to set goals for themselves while you clarify expectations. Older children and teens can write down what hey hope to learn, put the list away, and bring it out at the end of the school year, to see if they learned what they thought they would!

3. Visit a special place-one last time.

If you have a place your family likes to go, a local park, a site in your city where you get a fabulous view, a swim club, or a bike trail you've often used. Go there. Take a few minutes to look around and thank this place for the great times you have had there, talking about any highlights that come to mind. Then, on your way home, stop by a favorite caf or bakery. While treating your family, discuss what you anticipate the school season will bring-what more family fun can you have during the fall? What will your special places be?

Copyright, Gloria DeGaetano, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Beginnings and Endings - Family Rituals For Summer's End and School's Start

By: Tracy Patton

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