The Family Culture

The definition of “culture” is “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.” So how does that apply to family? Well the family is a particular group of people that have their own “customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements.” Each family has these things that are specific to their family. It is different for everyone.

One thing that contributes to the family culture are rules, spoken and unspoken. We all had rules in our families. In my family, we had rules like having all our chores done before we could hang out with friends or watch television. During the summer, it was expected of us that we did 30 minutes of weeding outside in addition to our normal chores. We also had some unspoken rules as well. We always knew that if we talked back to our Mom or disrespected her, Dad would find out, and we would get in big trouble when he got home. We also had a lot of unspoken rules that had to do with our beliefs. We saw our parents living those beliefs, and we followed them as well.

Over time, a lot of the spoken rules that the older kids, including myself, had grown up with have become unspoken rules. My parents started to become a little bit less vocal about the rules and expectations, but we know that they are there. It also helps that, when you grow older, you know what your parent’s expectations are. So, they don’t have to reiterate those rules.

There were also some fake rules in our house. I say they were fake because growing up, my dad told us some rules that we later found out he was joking about them. For one, on Easter and Christmas, we weren’t allowed to look at the tree or baskets until my parents got up. I also thought that, once I turned 18, I had to pay rent if I didn’t move out.

Another thing that contributes to a family culture is traditions. Every family has their own unique traditions. Traditions could be anything from what you do on Christmas to movie nights. For me, I love my family traditions, and I try to keep them going even when I’m not at home. One of my favorites is that we always had pizza on Halloween night. Even when I’m at college or when I was on my mission, I still make pizza every Halloween.

Each aspect of family life contributes to its culture. We are each brought up within a certain culture. When we meet someone and get married, we have to learn about their family culture. Together, you then decide what culture you want your kids to grow up in. It can be a difficult process. It is a lot of experimenting to find what works best for you.

I know that I am extremely grateful for the family culture that I have. My parents have done such a great job! I honestly don’t think parents get the credit that they deserve. They do so much to provide us with a good life. To all the parents out there, thanks for all you do and the family culture you help provide!