Celebrations and festivals, offer us time to create nurturing moods of reverence, gratitude, and joy for our family. Showing up with our authentic self  brings life to how we celebrate because young children are able to sense our thoughts and feelings and even the meanings behind in our gestures. 

Today, Chinyelu sits down with Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America, to talk about celebrations and festivals and the vital role they play in the lives of children, and indeed all of us! Everyday life and its routines can be beautiful, powerful, and special, but the yearly escapes from the mundane through the celebration of holidays, birthdays, and special occasions mark our lives with something both extraordinary yet familiar. These rituals and practices help to center a child's life through their repetition, and the realization that a certain time of the year is coming around again can create excitement, appreciation, and a certain type of awareness that is not easily imitated. In our conversation, we break down what can make these rituals special, how to get away from the stressful side of celebration and planning, and ways in which to foster your own unique festivals. Cynthia reminds us that there is nothing wrong with mimicking what you see elsewhere and that over time you are able to own these processes and traditions, in a way that feels true to your family's needs. We talk about how we as parents and teachers can continue these habits even beyond the needs of our children, as they grow up and move out into the world. Celebrations and festivals are important to all of us and although we like to look at them through the lens of the benefits they bring to younger ones, these special occasions can be very meaningful for any person, at any stage of life!

Key take-a-ways In this Episode:

• A few thoughts on the importance of celebrations and festivals in family life.
• Igniting excitement about celebrations and experiencing them through the eyes of children.
• The expected overwhelm that comes when creating a seasonal festival.
• Mimicking and then owning, over time,  what others do.
• The power of childhood memories of celebrations.
• The value of repetition.
• How Cynthia has continued with special celebrations after her children have grown up.
• Why we need celebrations.

Music is “Dance With Me” by Sergey Cheremisinov.

To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com and lifewaysnorthamerica.org

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