Lately I've been thinking a lot about the little things that are unique to my family. The traditions and habits and quirks that we share that would probably seem odd to others, that make me smile. For example,on birthdays we always give a card that is not a birthday card, e.g bon voyage, best wishes on your christening, congratulations on your engagement, graduation card, get well soon, wedding etc etc. For my 50th my sons gave me a sympathy card. We think it's hilarious and we really look forward to seeing what type of card we'll get.we don't say "Happy Birthday", we say "Happy to You" this is because one of my sons used to say it incorrectly when he was little and the saying has just stuck.balloons on birthdays are compulsoryIf you're male in our house you will always get one sock for every year of age on your birthday. We have lots of spare socks from those odd years.we have an emergency word, which is a word we use when we may be struggling with something (like we're depressed or deeply upset) when we can't bring ourself to talk about it. The word is 'pineapple'. If any one of us randomly says that word or sends it in a text, then all the family will immediately drop everything and rally round, no questions asked because sometimes it's easier to say a single word, rather than trying to explain a difficulty you're experiencing or that you are feeling badwe have the same seat at the dinner table. What's funny is that when we eat out we sit in the same positions.It's a tradition in our house that when my boys got their first pay from their first job they would take mum (me) out to dinner.If one of us gets a promotion we always go to Pancake Parlour to celebrate - we've done this since our kids were toddlers.Just wondering what quirky traditions other families have.

We have words and phrases that we've kept in use from when the kids were little, the mangled ones, the sweet attempts. One of my favourites is the 'red danger', my nephew's name for the gas stove lighter. Now they come in many different colours but we all still say 'where's the red danger?'!We have food traditions of course. And at birthdays, your presents always get piled in The Little Pram which is left waiting for you in front of the fire. It's a toy pram, an old fashioned one made of white wicker, that belonged to me when I was a very small child. My birthday's in the winter, hence the placement in front of the fire. Occasionally I've forgotten to do it and boy, do I get into trouble! The 18yo son is most insistent! We even specifically designed a storage space for it when we renovated our house.Another very family specific tradition is at Christmas. My parents are English and we always had our Christmas meal in the evening. As kids my sisters and I were always up at dawn's crack, and so to keep us going through the day my mother decided to split the present opening. The Christmas tree was a small one and on a round table. Presents on the floor under the table were opened in the morning, presents on the table (smaller and often jokey) were opened in the evening, before dinner when we were small, after dinner when we were older. They're called Christmas Tree presents, and now with a big tree on the floor, we mark the gift tags with a little Christmas tree to differentiate.Quality Streets at Christmas, always!I have some sadness round some of these family traditions. There was only two years between myself and my deceased sister. When she died she took the memories of my childhood with her. She's the only person who shared them with me. My remaining sister is six years younger than me and was raised differently. E and I shared a room, had our own words and particular ways of comnunicating that we continued to adulthood. We had our own call and response if separated, and it makes me sad that I'll never get to do that again. This is making me a bit teary! FU breast cancer.

We always went to the same place for Christmas holidays. Our girls never asked to go somewhere different because it was acknowledged as chill out time for everyone to do their own thing...my husband catching up with reading, my embroidery and the girls always playing monopoly. Having said that Uno and Trouble were always played when we went camping at Easter. Very loudly! Also Rummikub. I'd always make the girls their birthday cakes, they would get to choose what design. The ones i had the most fun making were their 18th cakes. One was a Tardis from Doctor Who and the other was this cube thing from a game called Portal.

Cant think of too many at this moment but there probably is !!When we are all together for birthdays we sing Happy birthday at about 5 times the speed it should be , any outsiders look on in amazement their faces are priceless.My dearly departed uncle used to concoct weird & wonderful stories for us growing up , his attention cry at a BBQ usually in the Dandenongs was 'Cook-a-chook' . A phrase often repeated for a laugh !My young cousin always said capushion for cushion we still use that ! lolAs early teens my boys liked getting Lynx deodorant ! I still buy it for them for Xmas as a joke !They're not impressed !

@Nadi we unwrap on our bed too- 5 big kids and two cats. We keep saying 'this must stop' - last year someone sat on my jam toast- but we carry on. :) AND, my husband's only dessert is also the infamous trifle. It's a family joke, because it is rarely successful, despite his crowing!

@Eastmum I absolutely love Gogglebox. This reminded me I have a special tv show with two of my sons that only we watch together. The first is MMA mixed martial arts which I watch with my middle son. We were introduced to this by my wonderful father-in-law who passed away from melanoma and watching it together makes us think of him. The second is Survivor which I have been watching for over 12 years with my youngest son. Survivor is kind of special. Coincidentally many past contestants have come on to that show while their mother has been battling breast cancer or has died from breast cancer. We watched this together before, during and after my diagnosis. My son mentioned that he could now 'qualify' because of my BC which was a little sad. During chemo he also began rubbing my bald head while we watched it. Guess he found my baldness strange. Then he would comb my fuzz after my hair began to grow back. Now he's too cool for all that, but we still watch together.

Unique family traditions and quirks that make you smile

35 Replies

Ellamary98
Member
7 years ago
My favourite mis-sayings by our children, which have become part of family vernacular are:
'Buttercups', instead of hiccups.
'gobbles', for goggles
'Brefrex', for breakfast
Uncle Mark, Get Set, Go!
and 'Judy and the Beast'.
Like you, @Eastmum , we have a special meal which noone would miss. Big Family Brefrex is every other Sunday and alternates with Sunday family dinner. We set the table with all the trimmings, including an assortment of cups and saucers, and play trivia games and quizzes. Occasionally, we will invite extended family, but it really is our precious time in an otherwise non-stop weekend schedule.
Nadi
Member
7 years ago
@Eastmum I absolutely love Gogglebox. This reminded me I have a special tv show with two of my sons that only we watch together. The first is MMA mixed martial arts which I watch with my middle son. We were introduced to this by my wonderful father-in-law who passed away from melanoma and watching it together makes us think of him. The second is Survivor which I have been watching for over 12 years with my youngest son. Survivor is kind of special. Coincidentally many past contestants have come on to that show while their mother has been battling breast cancer or has died from breast cancer. We watched this together before, during and after my diagnosis. My son mentioned that he could now 'qualify' because of my BC which was a little sad. During chemo he also began rubbing my bald head while we watched it. Guess he found my baldness strange. Then he would comb my fuzz after my hair began to grow back. Now he's too cool for all that, but we still watch together.
Eastmum
Member
7 years ago
@Nadi this is a wonderful idea for a post!

We have lots of words that the kids mispronounced when they were little and we use them as part of our vocab. My favourites are hydedrated instead of dehydrated; faflingo instead of flamingo and punkin instead of pumpkin.

Friday night is family night. No matter what we've all had on during the week (I have three adult 20+ kids and a 12 y/o), Friday is the night that we all have dinner together no matter what, and usually with extended family - grandparents and cousins. The kids often go out after dinner but they all make dinner together, a priority.

At least once a month, at one of these Friday night dinners, we have a TV show theme song session, when we sing as many old TV show theme songs as we can remember. The kids love singing their favourite TV theme songs from when they were preschoolers.

My 21 year old daughter and I watch goggle box together as a religion hahaha
Sister
Member
7 years ago
My 12 to bought some neutral makeup yesterday (as did her older sister last year) to start practicing at home so she doesn't look like a clown when she finally does wear it out. I spent some time with her this morning showing her how to apply it, just as my big sister did with me. Both girls at the table trying out different looks. Takes me back.
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
So @jennyss. Life can be rich and rewarding but the way it chips away at you can be hard. Enjoy those happy memories of your gorgeous mum.

@Sister Took my 15yo bra shopping yesterday, then out to lunch. It was lovely. She's so open and relaxed with me. I was dashing about finding bras, discerning what she meant by a "funky" one! So enjoyable. K xox
Sister
Member
7 years ago
@jennyss I took my daughters (12 & 13) to the shops, yesterday. It was the first time we've had a girlie clothes shopping day, going to boutiques instead of rushing through Target or Kmart. They've both been with friends and their Mums this year but I was too ill to contemplate it. One of the things that I didn't expect was feeling so close to my Mum during the experience... Just like she did with me, I was giving my girls honest feedback on colours and styles in the change rooms area and then dashing back out into the shop to find different sizes, etc. It brought back so many memories of those shared times.
jennyss
Member
7 years ago
Dear @kmakm, About shared memories - My darling mother died last year: Lucky me; we had special times together, but now I realise I don't share those memories and laughs with anyone else.
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
@Ellamary98 Hee hee! Love that. Must have been very tatty by the time it was done!
Ellamary98
Member
7 years ago
@kezmusc , I love that story! My husband's family used to have an inappropriate birthday card which was sent back and forth for each sibling's birthday, with a line through each old message. It was originally sent by a rather crass uncle to my husband's sister when she was 13, and includes a saucy joke.The joke never dies.
kezmusc
Member
7 years ago
My in laws were pretty darn tight with money to say the least (even though they had lots of it) when my sister in law got married they gave her a pizza oven thing, I was helping her pack up the gifts and noticed it seemed to have a bit of an oily feel to it......it had been used LOL. Unexpected, but not totally surprising.

From then on whoever got married, engaged, had a milestone birthday or sometimes even for christmas, they got the pizza oven. Sometimes we'd put crumbs in it or a bit of crusty toasted cheese for them.

The pizza oven went around the family for almost 10 years before someone dropped when they were drunk (no, it wasn't me) and smashed it.

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Unique family traditions and quirks that make you smile

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