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| |    New Year's Traditions: A Time for Reflection and Optimism by Susan E. Davis reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. Before you had children, New Year's Eve was probably all about getting dressed up, finding the best parties, drinking a bit too much, and then lounging around the next day watching football games. Once you have offspring, though, New Year's can become a more meaningful winter holiday, one that fosters both reflection and optimism. Here are a few ideas: Let your children join the fun. Bring out the horns, rattles, and silly hats, pour sparkling apple juice in plastic wine glasses, and let the kids stay up late to watch the ball drop in Times Square on TV. If your children truly are too young to make it to midnight, celebrate early, or put them to bed at their normal bedtimes and then wake them up just before the New Year arrives. Look for local New Year's Eve events that start early. Some cities feature First Night celebrations with family-oriented concerts and art exhibits that children can attend in the early evening hours. Churches and synagogues also often have New Year's Eve services. Make a wishing tree. Let your art squad draw and cut out a big paper tree and leaves. Then have everyone in the family write down their hopes and dreams for the coming year on the leaves, and paste them on the tree. When the year is finished, pull out the tree and let family members see how many of their wishes actually came true. Revisit the past. Leaf through the family's calendar or photo album and talk about what happened during the past year. Be sure to discuss both the wonderful events and the difficult ones so your children get used to talking about hard topics, how your four-year-old was scared to start preschool, how your teenager was sad when her best friend moved out of town, how difficult it was for you to start a new job. Plan a special activity on New Year's Day. Take a hike, go rollerblading, bike around the lake trail, watch the Rose Bowl Parade and award your own prizes for best float. Top off the day with a traditional New Year's dish, such as ham and black-eyed peas with rice.
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