Thanksgiving is fast approaching! Christian people should be marked by thankfulness, and cultivating grateful hearts is likely on our radar year round. I love this holiday, however, because it enables us to devote special focus to it. November gives me the opportunity to cultivate gratitude in my own heart and the hearts of my kids.
How can we build thanksgiving in our homes this season? Here are a few ideas I came up with.
Model it
You can’t impart what you don’t first possess. It is so convicting to me that my sinful behaviors are being observed and impressed upon my little ones! By the grace of God I want to model a content, thankful spirit- giving thanks when we pray together, wearing a cheerful attitude in the face of frustration, and counting my blessings instead of complaining. True Christian conduct modeled for our children will always go much farther than mere verbal instruction.
Read up on it
Another way to influence little minds is to read to them. My kids love being read to! I made a Bible reading plan for the month of November that highlights Scriptures specifically about Thanksgiving {you can print your own free copy off here}. We read it together each morning at breakfast. We also have a few favorite picture books related to thankfulness. I Will Rejoice features a little girl in gorgeous watercolor going about her day with thankfulness, Thank You God is the perfect board book for little hands, and Bear Says Thanks is a delightful story of friendship and generosity. There are countless more out there, so get to your local library and give them a gander! And please let me know your favorites in the comments!
Write it out
One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is the thankfulness wreath I make each November. I use a basic leaf template to trace and cut leaves in red, orange, yellow, and brown, then glue them to a cardboard wreath. Every day the kids tell me something they are thankful for, and we write it down on a leaf. By the end of the month the wreath is full of things to be thankful for, and it’s hard to forget that we are abundantly blessed.
Talk it out
When a child is complaining, moaning, or throwing a temper tantrum, I like to play a little game in our house. “I bet you can’t think of anything to be thankful for right now- but I can,” I’ll say with a wink, then begin listing what I am thankful for- brothers and sisters to play with, beautiful sunshine, a fun activity, that special toy, etc. Before I know it, most kids are able to pipe in with something they can be thankful for too. It’s impossible to drag thankfulness out of your kids, but with a sweet attitude from mom, a little competition, and maybe a few silly suggestions thrown in, little ones will often change their tune to match mom’s.
Even better is that this game prevents me from getting crabby. Nothing sours my attitude so quickly as having my own temper tantrum in response to a child’s meltdown.
Do you have any special Thanksgiving traditions in your home to encourage gratitude? How do you cultivate gratefulness in your heart and the hearts of your kids?
Rachel
Latest posts by Rachel (see all)
- The Beginner’s Guide to Making Homemade Popsicles - October 5, 2024
- The Ultra-Frugal Elementary Homeschool - October 5, 2024
- 4 Awesome Ways to Bless a New Mom - October 5, 2024
- Cardboard Inspiration for Rainy Days - October 5, 2024
- 5 Fun Construction Books for Kids - October 5, 2024
Leave a Reply