The holidays bring everyone together, don’t they? It’s actually a great chance to lean into those core values that make your family you. If you’ve been wondering how to bring some heart and meaning into your celebrations, here are four easy tips to help you live out those core values ideas this season.
Every family has a natural rhythm during the holidays. It stems from your traditions, knowing what to expect and understanding the atmosphere of your holidays. Is yours peaceful, energetic, joyful, or maybe a little chaotic but loving?
It’s important to set a standard. Talk about the values in your life that will set a standard for the kind of tone, language, actions, etc. you want to put forward. Naming it out loud makes it real and gives everyone a reminder of how you want to show up.
Example: “This year, let’s be the family who chooses kindness (core value) in the midst of potential conflict.”
The holidays can get hectic fast, and it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness or drama. Instead of ignoring it, build in quick “value check-ins” throughout the day. It can be as simple as asking, “What’s one way we showed generosity today?” or “Where did we need a little more patience?”
It’s like hitting the reset button without anyone feeling like they’re being lectured.
Alongside a check-in, consider adding a checklist. The values checklist will help establish which core values your family wants to lean into this season and make sure you’re prioritizing the right things in your values and staying on track with them!
Holiday plans almost never go perfectly. Kids get cranky, meals burn, relatives stress. Instead of letting those moments derail you, decide ahead of time how you want your family values to show up when things go sideways.
Try this: before the holidays begin, choose one or two “anchor values” your family can come back to when stress rises—maybe grace when emotions run high, or gratitude when things don’t go as planned. Write them down, talk about what they look like in action, and even create a simple phrase to remind each other in the moment (“Let’s choose grace,” “We’re thankful anyway”).
If you know conflict tends to surface, make a plan before the hustle begins. Have a quick check-in strategy: pause, take a breath, and ask, “What value do we want to lead with right now?”
Remember, holidays aren’t about perfection; they’re about showing up as your family, with your values as your backbone. Keep it real, stay flexible, and most of all, have fun with it.
This holiday season, every little choice you make (every pause, check-in, and intentional act) adds up to the kind of family legacy you want to leave. At Legacy Stone, we see the whole picture for families: building a God-honoring legacy requires more than just naming your values, it takes a clear mission and vision too.
By putting your values into practice now, you’re laying the foundation for something bigger. The Family Legacy Study can help take the next step: creating a family mission statement, vision, and values that aren’t just words on a page, but living principles that guide your family today and for generations to come.