How well does your whānau do rituals and traditions?
International research suggests that:
- Families who celebrate special occasions are more likely to raise kids who have a strong sense of identity, are healthy, have close ties to family members, and succeed in school.
- The more meaningful older teenagers felt their family rituals were, the more likely they were to have a strong sense of themselves and be able to handle the stresses of leaving school.
- Families who share the preparations for a family holiday are more likely to continue traditions. In too many families, one female (typically between the ages of 40 and 59) does all the work.
- It’s never too late to establish a ritual or tradition for your whānau.
Te Ora Hou Aotearoa is doing a small research project on whānau rituals – your responses to these five questions will assist us and may provide useful prompts for you to think about the role of regular gatherings, events, rituals and traditions in your whānau.
Click here to take our five question survey on Whānau Rituals and see others responses.
