6 Creative Ways Moms Can Teach Their Children to be Grateful
A few years ago, we invited friends over who didn’t have family to share Thanksgiving with. Wanting to encourage gratitude, I placed dry erase markers on the windowpanes next to the festive dining table.
As guests arrived, I invited them to write several things they were thankful for on the window.
After a while, I noticed that no one was writing. They were fidgeting and uncomfortable. After a long silence, one young man smiled, grabbed the marker, and wrote— “I’m thankful for Brenda inviting me over.”
I really thought my idea would be an easy way to get people engaged and in a grateful mood for Thanksgiving—but it clearly didn’t work.
Thinking about it later, I realized two things. First, until we view things and experiences as gifts we are given, rather than things we are entitled to, we can’t be thankful. Secondly, we need to have someone greater than ourselves to be thankful to. As a Christian, that is Jesus, the giver of our gifts. He is the one we express gratitude to.
Most of us want to be grateful people. Here are six ways to help you and your children become more grateful.
Delayed Gratification Gratitude. At the store, when your child whines for M&M’s, let them wait. Once you’re home, have them do a chore, like cleaning out the dishwasher or vacuuming the house. Pay them and take a trip to the store to get their candy. There is something about getting something after you’ve worked for it that makes us grateful and not entitled. It’s a perfect moment to have them pause and thank the Lord for what they have.
Feeling Gratitude. When your child comes in from outside and has cold hands, hold them, pause, and say, “Let’s thank the Lord for a warm house.” Look for other ways to express the feelings we feel in a grateful way. When it’s hot outside and we come into a cool home, say, “Thank you, Lord, for this air conditioning!” Or when you are really hungry and a plate of food is in front of you, say, “Thank you, Jesus, for this good food!” Even when we have a cold and aren’t feeling well, we can say, “Thank you that this is a virus I will recover from.”
Gratitude Beans. Put a jar of dried beans or nuts in the center of your table. Before dinner, let your child give each person three beans. Then, go around the table and say what you are thankful for, such as, “I’m thankful for daddy.” Keep going around the table until everyone’s beans are gone.
Snack Gratitude. When your child is hungry, put a snack in their hand, get down on their level, look into their eyes, and say, “Let’s thank Jesus for this snack.” Then, help your child pray, “Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of this apple.”
Write Your Gratitude. Write 10 things a day, in complete sentences, in your Gratitude Notebook or Journal, praying for each one as you write. When tough times come, you can be reminded that you still have things to be grateful for.
Experience Gratitude. Pause, take a deep breath, and find something beautiful or someone you appreciate and express it to the Lord. “Thank you for the smile on my daughter’s face,” or, “Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful sunset.”
I want to encourage you to develop a lifestyle of gratitude. Create moments to help you and your children learn to be thankful people, every day of the year. You’ll find that, over time, it becomes a natural part of who your family is.
Brenda Jacobson
Updated Today, June 18
