Your soon-to-be favorite family tradition

You’ve already got a lot on your plate. I get it. But this family tradition is one you’ll want to pencil in every month. Your kids will love you for it and you’ll become closer to them in the process. Keep reading to get all the deets.

As we all know, it can be hard to find one-on-one time with our kids. Our families’ busy schedules cause us to live parallel lives, preventing us from really connecting with our kids.

My family is no exception. We have four boys who are still young and very impressionable. But we were just going through the motions. School. Dinner. Bed. My kids were growing up before my eyes and to a certain extent, I felt like I was missing it.

Our totes fave family tradition

One day, I read a blog post on my friend’s website (thanks Marcy). She started a tradition with her five boys called “unbirthdays”. We incorporated this amazing idea into our own family with a few tweaks. Here’s the basics and how you can start this family tradition as well.

Unbirthdays 101

First, at the beginning of each month, my husband sits down with each of our kids individually. They each pick which day during the month that they want to have their unbirthday. We write it down on the calendar so we don’t forget.

Family tradition — Schedule your unbirthday.

When each child’s unbirthday arrives, they get to stay up past their bedtime while the rest of our kids have to go to bed. Our boys think this is super awesome.

But the fun doesn’t end there. That child gets to pick what they want to do that night. The only rules for their unbirthday that night are that it can’t cost more than $5 and they can only stay up an hour past their bedtime.

Unbirthday ideas

The whole point of unbirthdays is to have one-on-one-time with your kids. So, we try really hard not to make them super extravagant. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

Play a board game or do a puzzle (check out Candy Grab)
Get an ice cream cone or shake
Watch a movie
Buy a toy or treat at the Dollar Store
Make cookies or a treat together (try homemade suckers)
Ride bikes or go on a walk
Make a craft (busy boxes are great for this)
Get out the polymer clay
Build a fort
Jump on the trampoline

My younger boys almost always choose to go to the store and get a treat. However, my older boys really like watching a movie together. Just make sure you stick to your guns on the dollar limit. My oldest is always trying to think of more and more expensive ideas like going out to dinner or going skiing. Keep it simple.

Be consistent

Once you start doing this fun family tradition with your kids, they won’t let you forget each month. But, make sure you don’t forget either. My mom told me that one of her regrets when I was growing up was not doing more one-on-one date with each of her kids. So, don’t let those moment slip away. Start making memories with your kids today. Unbirthdays will soon become your favorite family tradition of all time.

What other ideas do you have for a family tradition? Leave your comments below.