Strong families play an important role in the community and contribute to a healthy society overall.  For example, positive development of a young child depends on a parent’s ability to nurture, teach and provide.  Despite daily stressors such as finances, health and emotional barriers, positive family interactions, including a sense of belonging, love, connection, trust, sensitivity, and responsibility, can contribute to overall well-being.  Family traditions are just one example of how families can create a sense of connection, closeness, emotional safety, security, and stability.  To help strengthen families, the Owsley County FCS Extension Service offered the program, “Creating and Maintaining Family Traditions” to the area homemakers.  The program emphasized ways in which the creation or maintenance of family traditions contributes to building strong families.  Thirty-four total people participated in the program.  Of the 34 participants who completed program evaluations, 100% noted the connection between strong families and family traditions and 26 participants reported intent to maintain or create a new family tradition as a result of this program.

Specifically, 28 of the participants indicated that they felt that their family traditions provided a source of identity, 28 indicated that their family traditions strengthened their family bond, 28 indicated that family traditions offered a degree of comfort and security, 28 reported that they think traditions connect generations, and 28 identified with ways in which traditions pass on cultural and religious heritage.  Lastly, 28 participants indicated that traditions create lasting memories.  Twenty-five participants reported intent to encourage their family to participate in a family tradition.  As a result of this program, participants indicated that they plan to start a family reunion, involve children in the planning and carrying out of activities and explain vs. assume reasons for traditions.