Cultivating an attitude of Gratitude in children

I must admit I have been tempted several times to start decorating for Christmas. However, my children

remind me that I must not forget the big bird. “We have to wait until after Thanksgiving,” says my eight year old son.
So I deter myself from decking the halls by preparing for and relishing in the month of November. The bright colored leaves are falling like raindrops from the trees, and the first small blanket of snow has fallen upon the grass. Every time I take a walk or a drive, I am stirred by the colors of the season and I am grateful for the endless beauty which is ours to enjoy in Southern Utah.
With that gratitude, I realize that the month of November is a great time to cultivate the attitude of gratitude in our children. Everyone loves a thankful child.

Here are some steps for instilling gratitude in your children:
Make it fun! Create a gratitude game which pays homage to the turkey. Draw a turkey to be hung in your home and then for an evening activity give your children each a “feather” to attach to the turkey. The catch here is that each feather must have written on it something for which the child is grateful. Perhaps, you could create a “count-down” to Thanksgiving with the appropriate number of feathers. This creates a great opportunity for everyone in the house to count his/her blessings while focusing on the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Model gratitude – Raising a grateful child begins at an early age and is a day to day process. The first step in raising a grateful child is to model the behavior of gratitude. The most powerful teaching tool is example. As a parent say “please” and “thank you” for anything, everything, and everywhere – even the mundane – especially the mundane (this includes at the grocery store, bank, and gas station), it will carry over to the classroom, the ball field, and the music hall.

Write thank you notes. The words thank you can move mountains. Make your children aware of those who serve them in their life. Then find an occasion to follow up that service with a thank you note. A great time to do this is at the end of a sports season, after a big concert, or at the end of a school year. Be sure to help your children use the appropriate words and guide them through this process until they are able to do it on their own. Always keeps thank you notes on hand or supplies necessary to create your own.

Create an awareness in your children that there is a power greater than those found on this earth. As your children become aware of and acknowledge this power, they will find great joy. They will see the world from new eyes and count their blessings of home, family, love, freedom, food, talents and a body. A happy heart is indeed a grateful heart.

                       Happy Thanksgiving from Barnwood and Tulips!