This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more about my disclosure.

This week we had Angela Hyde (@arunninchic on Instagram) on our podcast. She talked about how to grow a strong family culture in our homes. Her family is so tightly knit, I have been dying for some tips from her. She has so many fun traditions. I especially loved this one:

When it’s your birthday, you get a special plate at the dinner table. Some of you may already do this. My mom did this when we were growing up, but Angie takes it a step further. When you have that plate, the rest of the family takes turns telling what they love about you and the fond memories you have together. Now, it goes even further than that. Angie doesn’t just leave the kind words for birthdays, they do the special plate on a regular basis. I love that!

I decided instantly that I needed to try this, so I went out shopping for a special plate. I went to several different stores and couldn’t find anything that seemed right. I went home, feeling a little discouraged. I decided to start looking around my house.

We have a few Halloween decorations out, and this little witch caught my eye. I thought- what if we played “Pass the Witch” and turned it into a little festive thing? I decided we needed to start it at dinner that night. And you know what? It’s like that little witch casts a magic spell when we start saying kind words to each other. The squabbling, teasing and bickering all come to an abrupt halt.

This morning we decided to do it at breakfast time. We had some really tired kids and feelings were being hurt a little easier than usual. Plus, we have a pretty crazy evening tonight with piano lessons and soccer practice, so we most likely won’t have time at dinner. We decided to “Pass the Witch” and the whole tone of our home shifted.

We’ve been doing this for a couple weeks and I can see a huge difference. The kind words being said are very nice, but I really feel like it’s the second part- when we are sharing our memories together- that has been really connecting us. Some of the memories shared are sweet or sad, but usually they are the funny moments we have had together. It gets us all laughing and reminds us how much we really do enjoy being together. The other part of it that really cracks me up, is that the kids really like sharing memories they have about themselves when they have the witch. Not exactly the idea… but it gives them a chance to share something that is important to them.

So, I encourage you to try it out at your house. Maybe you won’t have a witch, but maybe you pass the plate, or the pumpkin or something else that is fun or special. And make sure you listen to that podcast with Angie. She is an amazing mama. I learned so much from our chat.