Create precious family traditions

When you think back on your childhood, what memories come to mind? For many, it will be those of family holidays we looked forward to every year or smaller rituals like “Takeout Thursday” or game nights.

Family traditions are rituals that are regularly recreated within a family to strengthen relationships. Parenting expert Nikki Bush describes them as rituals that allow parents and children to bond, creating an important emotional anchor for children.

Speaking on 702 Talk Radio, Bush says children thrive when there are consistent family traditions, as they reinforce a sense of belonging.

“A ritual is something you do over and over again at the same sort of time. They can be daily, weekly, ceremonial and holiday rituals,” explains Bush. “Children learn best in concrete, real, experiential ways, and family traditions are a very personal experience. When a child participates in these traditions, it provides an anchor in the family’s value system. They allow children to keep coming back to revisit a memory.”

Bush gives examples of her family traditions, such as a stopover at the Wimpy restaurant in Colesberg, Northern Cape, during their annual holiday drive from Johannesburg to the Cape coast.

Family traditions help children create a positive outlook of the future, as it gives them something to look forward to. In turn, this can help children to be more resilient during difficulty or times of change.

Lasting family traditions

Family traditions can range from games and a special meal to an activity or a holiday. Boasting an abundance of fun activities for the entire family, holidaying at Sun City Resort has become a treasured tradition for many families who look forward to strengthening their bonds and relaxing in the sun after a busy year.

With a wide variety of accommodation options, from five-star opulence at The Palace to Sun Vacation Club’s luxury self-catering apartments, Sun City is the perfect destination for consolidating family traditions or creating lasting memories to form new ones.

Developing unique traditions requires a bit of creativity on the part of parents. With hundreds of Sun City activities on offer, from family fun to adrenalin-fuelled adventures, an annual holiday to South Africa’s largest resort takes the hassle out of creating indelible customs.

Here are other ideas on creating family traditions at Sun City:

Eating together

Bush says breaking bread – literally – as a family is an easy way to foster bonds. As South Africans, we know that great family holidays go hand in hand with braais. Each luxury apartment at Sun Vacation Club has a built-in braai.

When you are not on holiday, set aside one night a week for the family to prepare a meal and set the table together. Make this a technology-free dinner and be sure to share stories of what you are most grateful for as the year runs down.

Play together

The Maze of the Lost City is the largest permanent maze in the Southern Hemisphere, and navigating it makes for a fun activity for young and old. Create lifetime memories as a family while helping each other find your way through the half-acre maze at Sun City, while taking in spectacular views.

If your family is not up to the challenge of a maze, then create lasting memories at Valley of Waves, where there is something for everyone. Grab a drink from the beach bar and laze the day away on the loungers, while the kids enjoy a leisurely ride on the Lazy River or take on the legendary Roaring Lagoon, which produces two-metre waves every 90 seconds.

Unite over a family challenge

Back in the day, there was nothing more stimulating than tackling a giant puzzle as a family. These days, it may be difficult to convince your kids that puzzles can be fun. Enter Breakout, the world’s leading escape game adventure, which involves players using clues, riddles, puzzles and a series of tasks to escape a locked room. Available at Sun City, Breakout is suitable for all ages. With different games and scenarios available, it will quickly become a fave family tradition.

Cement your family traditions

It’s a good idea to discuss possible family traditions with your children. That way, you guarantee that activities will be fun for them and that they will become attached to the idea. As children get older, traditions inevitably change. Be sure to sit down as a family to review traditions that no longer suit.