Family Celebration

What are small victories and why should we celebrate them?

We all take that picture of our toddler taking her first step, our child riding a bike without training wheels, and our teenagers getting their driver’s license or graduating from high school.  We celebrate things like getting a new job or a promotion.

But, what about the little things?  Do you celebrate when your child didn’t strike out for the first time?   If your daughter gave you a list of things she needs for her science project and it’s not due for an entire week or your teenager emptied the dishwasher without being asked, both call for a celebration.   Let’s not forget to celebrate the parents – like when your husband made it home from work on time or your wife made it through a tough day without her head exploding. 

I know, I keep telling you to celebrate and you’re worried that it’s going to cause your child to expect praise every time they do something right.  Well, that’s not exactly what I’m saying. 

You should also celebrate their losses and their mistakes.  Do not allow them to be ashamed of their mistakes.  Do not allow them to feel guilty when something goes wrong.  We can celebrate our losses by learning from the mistakes we made.  Help them to figure out what they did wrong and what they need to change to make it work out. 

Celebrating their losses teaches them that it’s okay to make mistakes.  It gives them the opportunity to learn how to fix the mistakes and gets their creative juices flowing. 

Now I don’t mean that you need to have a parade or a big party for every event.  There are ways to celebrate the small things.  A kind word or a big hug can be a celebration. 

Another way to celebrate may be to make one night each month about wins and losses.  Light a special candle, make a special meal, and have each person talk about their wins and losses that month.  Give the day a special name and put it on the calendar so that everyone can look forward to your family’s celebration day.

Let us know in the comments what your family does to celebrate their wins and losses.