Are your kids part of the generation who have just about everything they want and desire, but don’t always show how thankful they are for it?
We began a Thanksgiving tradition several years ago to show our thanks, and I wish we would have continued it every year since. We want our kids to appreciate all they’ve been blessed with, both in words and actions. It is our job to teach them how to do this. Here are 4 ways you can teach your kids to be thankful.
1. Be Thankful Yourself.
Make a habit out of being thankful, and share this with your kids. I’m not just talking about the “big” things, but your everyday “little” blessings you and your family enjoy.
2. Dinnertime Thanksgiving.
The dinner table can be a great place to talk, teach, and share your thanks. When you gather at the table, you have the opportunity to not just show you are thankful for the food you are eating, but you can make a habit of going around the dinner table every night to share all you are thankful for each day.
3. Thank You Post-it Notes.
Post-it notes are quick and easy ways to share something or remember something. Give each of your children a set of post-it notes and have them write a note to tell someone “Thank you” for something. Then leave the post-it notes with them until all the notes in that set are gone.
4. Manners.
One of the simplest ways to be thankful is to have good manners and be considerate of others. Help your kids by working on their manners. Get them in the habit of saying, “Thank you” when someone does something worthy of thanks.
