Family Culture: Preserve Your Family’s Unique Traits
Your family has its own culture—a mix of habits, beliefs, and quirks that evolved over time. Some you chose deliberately, others you inherited from your grandparents and beyond.
These journal ideas help you identify, celebrate and preserve the unique traits that make your family special.
Unique Traits
What might other families find silly, strange or amusing about your family?
- What do friends comment about?
- What do guests to your home find peculiar?
- What’s different about your home environment to accommodate your habits?
Enduring Traditions
What traditions or traits do you hope to pass on to future generations?
- Anything special rituals every day, week or month?
- Do you have special times in the year when you do something special?
- What makes them so special or fun?
New Traditions
What new traditions would you enjoy adding to your family life?
- Any seasonal events?
- Sport or recreation-related?
- Here are 27 ideas from Verywellfamily.com.
Family Spirit
What five words would best describe your family spirit and why?
- Words about your relationships, your family structure or your personality?
- Words about your emotions, your physical characteristics or your way of living?
- Get inspiration from this list of 1150 family adjectives
Miss the Most
When meeting family has not been possible, what are the things you miss most?
- They might be the ‘little’ things, like tea and biscuits or big things like family outings.
- Think back to COVID-19, what did you miss then?
Inherited Traits
What traits seem to be passed between family generations?
- Personality traits?
- Physical traits?
- Outlook on life?
Ultimate Gathering
Ignoring practicalities, what would the ultimate family gathering look like for you?
- Think beyond a place – what would you do?
- What time of year would you go and for how long?
- By sharing it with family you’re sowing the seed of an idea – who knows where it might lead…
Ten Commandments
What would your family’s ’ten commandments’ be?
- What are the values and beliefs you share?
- Try this as a family and enjoy the debate.
- Create a written or printed recording to remind you during daily life.
Seasonal Events
What seasonal events are important for your family?
- Weather related?
- Nationality related?
- Religion or belief related?
Sayings & Expressions
What sayings or expressions best characterise your family members?
- Capture those sayings popularised by family members.
- Like DNA, what we repeatedly say often gets passed on to future generations.
- You might realise that you’ve picked up some expressions from your family.
Evolving Traditions
How have family traditions changed over the years?
- ‘Things are not like they used to be!’ – so how are they different?
- What’s better today?
- What do you miss from the old days?
Religion & Politics
What religious or political preferences do you or your family have?
- Do you know the preferences of your ancestors?
- Wouldn’t it be nice to share some of your beliefs in this domain with future family?
Family Crest
If you designed a crest for your family, what would be in it?
- Explore the meaning behind different design elements here.
- Learn more about family crests and how to create them with children in this fun family guide.
View the Ultimate Guide with 70 journal questions that will bring back a flood of family stories and memories!
Your family’s past, present & future—woven together in Simirity.
Family Culture Journal Ideas FAQ’s
What is ‘family culture’?
“Family culture” refers to the distinct customs, traditions, values, norms, beliefs, and behaviours that define a particular family group. It includes how family members interact with each other, communicate, solve problems, celebrate special occasions, and handle conflicts.
What are ‘journal ideas’ about?
Sometimes it can be hard to get started writing a story. ‘Journal ideas’ help by providing creative ideas as inspiration. Simirity’s journal ideas have been designed to ignite discussions in your family and inspire you to ask questions about your family’s past.
How can I use journal ideas with my family?
These journal ideas work in multiple ways to bring your family closer together:
- For individual reflection: Use them as personal writing prompts to capture your own memories and thoughts.
- For family conversations: Share journal ideas during family dinners, car rides, or video calls. Ask “How would you answer this one?” to spark meaningful discussions that go beyond daily small talk.
- For preserving family stories: When an idea resonates with a family member, encourage them to share their response in a way that captures it permanently.
The Simirity family journal app includes 100’s of journal ideas with features designed to make family storytelling simple and meaningful. Our Story Requests feature lets you easily share specific prompts with family members, while voice recordings and photo narrations help capture responses in the most natural way possible. Explore our demo account to see how families are transforming everyday moments into lasting memories.
