13 hours ago
People Are Sharing The Creative Things Their Parents Did That Made Their Childhood Magical, And Parents Take Note Because Some Of These Are So Amazing
Every year, my mom makes an icebox cake for my birthday. The tradition hasn't been without its setbacks and snafus (memories of knocking the whipped cream off the counter come to mind). But regardless of the challenges, she and I both look forward to making and devouring it together every year.
Our tradition isn't exactly out-there or unexpected, but it holds such a special place in my heart. Which is why when I was scrolling TikTok and happened upon bryannlewienmartines's post, asking people to share "the one thing [their] parents did that made [their] childhood magical", I was blown away by the over 12,000 comments.
So here are 24 creative ideas, traditions, and moments that can make childhood feel truly special:
1."Pajama rides! We didn't have much growing up. But sometimes right before bed, my dad would yell out, 'Pajama ride!' And all five of us would jump in the car and get ice cream and tailgate."
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2."My mom would randomly wake me up late and say, 'Oh my goodness, I think you're sick today' with a wink. 😉 Then we'd go get donuts and have a skip day together. It was my favorite unexpected treat."
—moomoogang
3."My husband and I write a letter every year on my daughter's birthday and put it in a bucket so she can open them all on her 18th birthday. She'll feel so special the day she becomes an adult."
"We tell her all the milestones she hit that year, all the new things we did and learned, the places we went, the events we attended, etc. We just tell her about the whole year, basically! And we always end it by telling her how special and loved she is. Always."
—maggieback77
similarly, "My mom wrote us a letter the night before the first day of school every year, she gave me a box with all of them the night before my first day of senior year."
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5."On the first day of school each year, my dad would buy my sisters and me a bunch of flowers to represent the grade we were in! Then by senior year, we got a dozen roses."
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6."My single mom of six would line us up for 'love time,' which consisted of hugs, kisses, and words of affirmation. Waiting in line was the same thrill as waiting to get on a rollercoaster."
—immabelate_
7."When my mom made pancakes, we had to catch them on our plates. We stood 5 to 6 feet from the stove, and she flung them in the air. The five-second rule applied."
—rockinryder22
8."The first time I went away to camp, I was so nervous. I opened my bag and there was a cassette player and a different tape for each night. It was my mom's voice reading to me like we did every night."
—breexplainsitall
9."My dad made my lunches for school and always took a bite out of the corner of my sandwich and left a note. That bite is a tradition when we make sandwiches in my family — my husband does it now."
—ktelizabug
10."My mom turned deep cleaning days into days of fun. She would throw open the windows, put Shania Twain on full blast, and everyone would grab a rag and start cleaning with dance and karaoke breaks in between."
—ksettles11
11."Since I've moved out, my mom and I text every morning, 'the sun is shining,' and the other would respond, 'the tank is clean' from Finding Nemo, to know we're both okay and alive. I always look forward to it. 🥹"
—lilibell610
12."During COVID, my grandma hand-wrote all of her homemade recipes and put them in a beautiful photo album. It's my favorite gift."
"🕊️Alice Beth, 5/30/43-11/30/22♥️"
—sarahsubias
13."Mom couldn't afford a pretty new bike for me when I was eight. She found one at a garage sale, used spray paint, and MADE ME the most beloved bike I ever had. The memories of that summer…"
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14."When Prince William and Kate Middleton got married, my mom took me out of school so we could dress up in fancy hats, have lemon cake, and watch the wedding."
—marissarosegiov
15."When I had a bad day, Mom would ask if I needed to 'squeeze the meanies out. ' We'd hug and squeeze as tight as we could. She passed and now I do it with my oldest daughter, and she's started doing it with her baby sis, too."
—flbowdoe
16."Just showing up. One thing I will always remember is my dad showing up to my 8th grade graduation totally white, covered in limestone dust; he had rushed from work to be there."
—biandprobablyhigh
17."My parents would have a choreographed 'proud dance' that they would perform for us when we accomplished something."
—clairejohnson4172
18."We played a game at dinner called best, worst and funniest. Moments of the day recap."
—sheetalwerneke
19."Driving around to look at Christmas lights. We'd go not just once a season, but almost every night."
—1scenic_soul
while we're talking about Christmas, "I never got Christmas presents from my parents, they were always labeled 'from Rudolph,' 'from the squirrel,' 'from (our dog)', 'from Zack Morris' (when I got older). I do that for my kids now, too."
—noekinschroy
21."My dad called the radio station on my birthday every year and wished me a happy birthday and requested 'Butterfly Kisses' to be played!"
—samantharclark
22."My mom used to call them 'Twilight Zone rides.' We'd take roads we hadn't been down before and get lost, and then have to find our way home. She'd ask us, 'Left, right, or straight?'"
—its_just_me.erin
day after school, my mom and I had 'us time' for an hour. She gave me undivided attention, and we'd do activities led by me with no distractions. I loved it so much."
—haleylonng
lastly, "My parents took us to Waffle House at midnight on Valentine's Day because they used to eat late-night Waffle House on Valentine's Day together."
—sydj0724
There you have it, 24 meaningful and magical moments that people remember from their childhood. How about you? Did you or your caretakers have any special traditions that meant the world to you? Let us know in the comments!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
