March 2014

It’s not always easy to bring the entire extended family together for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or other holidays. Unfortunately, sometimes funerals and weddings are the only chances we get to see our loved ones who live far away. Those occasions aren’t always ideal for really getting a chance to sit down and reconnect with a distant relative. Whether or not a reunion is tradition for your family, they are a great way to enjoy each others’ company and introduce your children to family members they don’t normally get to see. If your family doesn’t participate in family reunions, start the tradition! Whether they’re an annual occurrence, or perhaps spread a little farther out, they’re an ideal way to reunite with some of the most important people in your life. We’ve put together some important pointers for helping host a family reunion of your own:

• Set clear responsibilities and expectations. Maybe you and your spouse are in charge of the overall reunion, where you both put together a schedule and assign others to conduct the specific activities that will go on during the reunion. But it’s really important to spread out responsibilities and make sure responsibilities are clearly defined so you and your spouse don’t feel too put-upon and the important things still get done. Assign each family a meal or two to prepare. (It can be a favorite family specialty or maybe something new!) A great way to ensure clean up duties is to have the grandkids help participate.
• There needs to be a good balance between structured and unstructured activities. When babies and grandkids come into the mix, a strict itinerary can become overwhelming and useless. Plan a few set activities (2-3 games/activities/meetings a day –about an hour each) but give yourself and your family some time to relax and just enjoy each other’s company.
• Keep traditions alive. When you’re planning the activities, try to relive some of your family’s favorite traditions. Make a playlist of some memorable songs and maybe a slideshow of old pictures. Family reunions are also a perfect time to come up with new traditions, that will hopefully carry on for years to come. Have the kids dress up and put on a talent show, and have older“judges”come up with little awards for each act.

We hope your next reunion brings unity and happiness to the most important thing in everyone’s lives – our family!