You girls would be proud of your niece! She sent me a text yesterday asking if she and a couple of her friends could go to Sonic after school, for a BANANA SPLIT. (and yes, she had it in all caps)
*
*
Let me clarify, for the rest of you, what the significance of the banana split is...
*
We have a unique tradition for the girls in our (extended) family. I believe it all started with one of our aunts and her daughters. Love them! Whenever one of the girls "starts" (her period) for the first time we celebrate with a BANANA SPLIT!
*
I remember making the phone calls (to aunts and cousins) stating it was "Banana Split Time!"... we met up at a local ice cream parlor, giggled together and enjoyed our sweet treats. It sure did make a not so fun experience - fun!
*
Getting back to the text I received yesterday... she continued the text by letting me know that a friend had "started" and after hearing what our family does, she wanted to do the same. She said it would make her feel better about the whole (life changing) situation. :)
*
I don't know what makes be more happy: knowing that my daughter is a good friend or that she is proud of our quirky family traditions. :)
sounds so fun, but did it embarrass the girls by having everyone know? my daughter is getting to be that age and was thinking of starting some kind of tradition like this, but not sure about how she will respond. any suggestions of how to approach it?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and her friend were the only ones who knew the reason they were going for ice cream. They are close friends - they even call each other sisters. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you think your daughter would be embarrassed in a group setting (which I would think most girls that age would be) then make it a mother/daughter night. A great opportunity to have some one-on-one time.
As for how to approach it... I am not sure. Maybe when that "time" comes you may notice she's feeling a bit down, embarrassed, frustrated or suprisingly excited with "the change". You could use that as an opportunity to offer up an outing - whether it be to celebrate or make things better. :) There aren't many girls I know who would pass up a bowl of ice cream.
Everyone is different. I couldn't wait for my "banana split party". But one of my sisters (15+ years later) still hasn't had one because she was too embarrassed. I should totally have a suprise banana split party for her! Shhh, don't tell. :)