Every once a while here in the Parenting Pathway community, we come across a family activity that’s too good not to share. So with the new year just around the corner, we’re sharing a holiday tradition we love—family awards.
Each year around New Year’s Eve, our friend Sarah, her husband, and her six kids have an awards ceremony where they give out hilarious trophies to each of the family members. We sat down to interview her, so we’ll let her tell you the rest.
Why do you do the Brower Family Awards?
I wanted a way for us to remember the year and all the accomplishments, laughs, injuries, and memories we shared. These awards are a way to celebrate everyone and still laugh, too. I want our kids to know that we are their biggest fans!
Our awards are personalized to our family and what we did the past year, but this can easily be recreated for any family.
What are some of the awards you’ve given over the years?
The names of the awards are usually different every year depending on what has happened. I usually look over the past year’s photos to remind me of things we’ve done, memories for the year, and, of course, any inside jokes only our family would know.
“Happiest Camper” could be for who went to camp for the first time this year, “Lumber Jack” for our axe throwing outing, “Book Worm” for who read the most books, etc. “Biggest BooBoo” is a repeat award given to whoever hurt themselves the worst—stitches, broken bones, surgery, you name it.
You can get as creative as you want or keep it simple. Something general like “Soccer Stud” works just as well. The kids really are just excited about getting an award and being recognized.
What do you do for the awards ceremony?
First and foremost, I try to set the bar low. That way it’s not much work and can be put together easily. In advance, I buy cheap awards off Amazon and simply write in the award names on an address label and stick it on. We usually do the awards ceremony on New Year’s Eve, but we’ve been flexible also. Sometimes we have the kids dress up like they are going to an actual awards show (and whoever dresses up doesn’t have to shower that night), while other times we’ve had everyone come in PJ’s (then they were ready for bed afterwards).
To start off, we toast the new year with sparkling cider and then all sit in the living room for the big show. Randall and I emcee it with a silly microphone, like a hair brush or a wooden spoon. We typically give three awards to each kid and parent. Sometimes there can be dual winners, but we make sure each kid still gets their own trophy.
I’ll mention three nominees (these really can be anyone) and then announce, “And the winner is…” The kids enjoy trying to guess who will win which award, and then everyone cheers for the winner. My prayer is that as they grow up, our kids will continue to always cheer on their siblings.
Do mom and dad get awards, too?
Yes, of course! I want our kids to see that as Mom and Dad, we too can have accomplishments. One year I kept track of how many loads of laundry I did, so I had the “Wash, Dry, and Fold” award. I run most of the household, so one year I won “Best Balancing Act.” Randall expertly drove an RV for our Spring Break Vacation, so that year we gave him the “That There’s an RV” award. And he plans all our sports activities, so he gets the award for “Best Activity Coordinator.” It’s fun to see our kids cheering us on, as well.
Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to start doing family awards?
Make it easy. Don’t go too overboard so that it’s hard to recreate every year. Our show usually lasts less than 30 minutes. Any longer and the kids might lose interest. No long acceptance speeches at this show!
Order inexpensive trophies off Amazon or at a dollar store, and get stick-on labels. Have fun and be silly. It’s good for our kids to see us being silly. Personalize the awards to your family. Include the grandparents and pets if you’d like. Our kids still have all their “awards” displayed in the rooms proudly. It’ll be a family favorite for all ages!