Tea time! Can't you just picture it? It's as if it's just part of being a girl ... hats, little teacups, beads and bracelets. Little girls love tea parties... and big girls do too. There are so many great reasons to join up with our friends across the Atlantic and begin the tradition of afternoon tea EVERY day, but realizing that we busy moms aren't ready for a big step like that, let's start with a once a week ritual to build a fabulous habit and tradition or our girls to last a lifetime! Why have weekly teatime? 1. It's peaceful. Let's face it ladies. For most of us life is just a little nutty. Even for kids these days between school, homework, extra-curricular activities, sports and more homework, life is anything but peaceful. Provide a once a week respite from the craziness of life around a cup of tea. You'll see... peaceful.... 2. It's fun! As I said above, girls of all ages LOVE the ritual of tea. Something about pouring the liquid out of the pot into lovely cups... it's just a little slice of heaven. 3. It's feminine. Tea is an excellent time to focus on gentleness and grace. I may get some hate mail here but when the woman was created, she was created FEMININE! That translates to graceful, gentle, soft...everything that you think of when you're thinking of tea. 4. It's memory building. Think of years from now when your girls will be recounting the fond memories of your weekly tea together. Better yet, imagine seeing your girls start the same tradition with their girls. 5. It's enriching. There is really no easier way to teach your young ladies manners than at a lovely tea table. Opportunities abound in tea time to show your little ladies how to be kind, quiet and caring, as well as how to use a fork, sip without slurping, etc. 6. It encourages conversation. As your girls get older it will be easier for them to hold back what's going on in their lives. Providing a relaxing weekly time for them to share what's been going on will create a culture of conversation. For this reason alone I think tea time should be mandatory for families with teenagers. 7. It's memory building. Think of years from now when your girls will be recounting the fond memories of your weekly tea together. Better yet, imagine seeing your girls start the same tradition with their girls. Maybe it's time for you to think about starting the weekly tradition of tea in your household this week. It's not a difficult thing to do and resources and books abound on the topic. Start simple and you'll see... it will become a habit in no time. |
