USE ROUTINES TO CREATE A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS
Family rituals and familiar patterns provide kids with a sense of security. Little children are reassured by knowing that their morning outing -- whether to the park or the library -- is followed by lunch, or that naptime will come after storytime. School-age kids also look forward to predictable shared events, such as eating dinner together or spending time with Dad on weekends. These routines increase your child's perception of control, which in turn increases her confidence.
Traditions also provide the social glue that bonds one generation to another, creating many of the special "anchor" memories within a family. In my own case, I hosted a multigenerational Thanksgiving reunion for years that gave our children both a strong family identity and sense of connection to their past.
