Forum Discussion
Nadi
8 years agoMember
Unique family traditions and quirks that make you smile
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 compulsory
- If 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 bad
- we 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.
35 Replies
- Ellamary98MemberMy 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. - NadiMember@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.
- EastmumMember@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 - SisterMemberMy 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.
- kmakmMemberSo @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 - SisterMember@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.
- jennyssMemberDear @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.
- kmakmMember@Ellamary98 Hee hee! Love that. Must have been very tatty by the time it was done!
- Ellamary98Member@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.
- kezmuscMemberMy 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.