Plus, the importance of lullabies; cooking lessons; embracing differences
|  | Sunday, November 22, 2020 | | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY MARKO GEBER, GETTY IMAGES
| | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
My Thanksgivings were often spent traveling to Waxahachie, Texas, to see my cousins. Here are some of the traditions I could count on every year:
• An off-off-off-Broadway-quality production of The Wizard of Oz put on by the cousins
• The grown-ups clapping for the demise of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the same cousin standing up and proclaiming, “It’s not over yet!”
• Dinner being scheduled around the Dallas Cowboys’ game
• “Orange cups,” a weird sweet-potato-plus-citrus concoction served in, well, a scooped-out orange cup that my uncle made every year even though no one ate them
We didn’t go around the table and say what we were thankful for, or participate in a three-mile turkey trot. (That really would’ve cut into the football game.) But these traditions were ours. They’re what made us a family.
Traditions are especially important for children. “Rituals and traditions help children build their own sense of identity and give them a secure base from which to learn and grow,” says Robin Brookshire, director of the Early Learning Center for Research and Practice at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “When kids can access memories of having fun with their own family, that can help sustain them through rockier times in life.”
This year, though, with COVID-19 infections surging at an alarming rate and CDC warnings against big holiday gatherings, families are struggling with how to maintain those holiday traditions in a season that will likely look very different from years past. The good news, says parenting coach Dawn Huebner, is that many kids won’t be as devastated as adults might think.
“Often kids are going to get swept up into the excitement of holidays regardless of what they are doing,” she says in this article about maintaining holiday traditions in this untraditional year. She advises not to spend too much time worrying about missing traditions, but think about modifying them for whatever your holidays will look like. (Tell us what your holidays will look like this year.)
So instead of getting together with cousins, you could have a virtual holiday movie party. The annual cookie swap might be gift bags of ingredients left on friends’ porches. If your large gathering always included “the dish”—that traditional food that feels unique to your family—make it at home this year for your smaller gathering.
Uh-oh. I think I just made the case for bringing back my uncle’s weird orange cups.
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| | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY DRAZEN ZIGIC, GETTY IMAGES | | Embracing differences. Now that the election is over, experts are urging people to shift their focus from what sets people apart to what brings us together. And that can start with children. Grown-up attitudes and emotions can transfer to kids, which is why role modeling tolerance is so important. “It’s about holding on to our strong values, but also being respectful of and curious about other people’s views and values,” says psychologist Tania Israel, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This article about raising tolerant and empathetic children provides ideas, like watching TV without sound to understand people’s body language and wishing happy thoughts toward other people.
Stir things up. Anyway you slice it, cooking can bring the family together. But it can also teach kids valuable lessons about learning from mistakes, trying new things, and understanding other cultures. Test out these ideas and more from this article about bringing the family together with food.
Just be nice. Last week we asked how your kids were expressing kindness to one another, and responses warmed our hearts. Children are painting anonymous “thank-you” rocks and other artwork for first responders (I especially loved the drawing of a healthcare worker kicking a COVID-19 virus, karate-style) and writing poems to help others deal with fear and uncertainty.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY HANNAH REYES MORALES | |
Snuggle up. Lullabies and bedtime stories are likely part of your family’s routine. But it turns out these nightly rituals are actually healthy for your child. They help a kid’s brain prepare for sleep, which is crucial for a growing body. They can also help children learn to calm themselves and de-stress, something especially important now. But bedtime rituals also signal something important: “It sends a message to your child that nothing else is more important than them,” says pediatrician Ari Brown in this comforting Nat Geo article about bedtime rituals. “All the work and chores of the day are set aside and these precious quiet moments tell your child they have your full undivided attention.” (Above, Erin Maltbie reads a story as she gestures with sign language to her son Sam, who lives with hearing loss but can hear moderately and uses a hearing aid.) Learn more about lullabies around the world in this subscriber-exclusive Nat Geo article. (And if you’re tired of the “Why do I have to go to bed?” question, find the answer in the Little Kids First Big Book of Why.)
Family discussion: When will this be over? We know, school and day care for some kids may shutter or shift to all-remote again as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens over the next few weeks. But now, for the first time, you have an answer to this question, an end in sight. Last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he believed an effective vaccine could be widely available by April. While April is not tomorrow, it is a much shorter time than families have endured since the first U.S. cases occurred in February. A few questions for your brood: What traditions have we as a family have learned or adopted that we should keep when it’s time to put the masks away? Weekend walks? Singalongs? Refilling bird feeders? Watching the stars? Let us know!
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| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
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Gobble, gobble—or not. Turkey likely wasn’t the main course at the first Thanksgiving—instead, settlers and Native Americans probably dined on deer, shellfish, and lots of veggies. Teach kids about the historical meal with this interactive quiz and another article about Turkey Day traditions. Just for fun, check out crazy food facts, plus eight reasons why kids should be thankful they are who they are. (After all, who wants to be an emperor penguin chick if you have to eat regurgitated seafood?)
Where in the world? We love celebrating geography every day, but last week was an extra-special week: Geography Awareness Week! Continue exploring the wonder of the world and the intersections between people and place with National Geographic Education resources, like a Fun with Geography idea set, a Pristine Seas collection, and an encyclopedic entry on GIS (d’oh, Geographic Information Systems!). Follow along with the hashtag #ThatsGeography to see the field in new ways throughout the year.
This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and Rachel Buchholz. Kimberly Pecoraro and Gretchen Ortega helped produce this. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead!
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