Oh the holidays…as if expectations weren’t high enough for fun and long lasting memories, we also need to make sure that our kids are polite, respectful, and well-behaved. And of course we are hoping they don’t end up spoiled and entitled by the end of 2019. Raising children with an attitude of gratitude is of the highest priority to many of us. But we can’t expect this to happen without first modeling the behavior and making it part of our every day habits. Check out some ways we make gratitude part of our home.
At Home with Momlando
Model how we say thanks. My husband and I will often very kindly (and in front of the kids) thank each other for making dinner, doing any number of chores, etc. We say a lot more than just ‘thank you’ to really spell it out. Definitely helps with our marriage too so it’s a win win!
Watch for too much outside noise. When we are consuming a ton of media we often want and need more things. Watch out for too much youtube and tv that can ramp up the ‘I need this!’ response in your kiddos.
Make the kids earn things. As a result of one too many bedtime nightmares we implemented a sticker chart for the kids. If they get six stickers in a row, they get a special treat on the weekends. It has fixed our bedtime issue while also giving the kids responsibility to earn what they want.
Get excited about the little things. Now this happens to be a Momlando specialty. I love being excited about stuff. I bring that up often with my kids and I believe it shows them to find joy in everything. It’s important to me (for myself and for them) that finding joy doesn’t have to be high stakes. It’s awesome when there’s an extra chicken nugget in the box just like it’s great to get a new toy we’ve been drooling over forever.
At Home with our Readers
We wanted to hear how different families incorporate gratitude in raising their kiddos. Here’s what some of our readers had to say!
“We do grateful things at dinner. Each person shares three things that they are grateful for that happened that day. It’s a great way to get the elusive answer to the “What’d you do at school?” question and also to get to know your kiddos and what they value. Bonus: it teaches a gratitude practice early in life. Sometimes someone is grumpy and refuses and we just move on to the next person. We don’t force it. However, they can’t be excused until they listen to everyone’s grateful things.” – Meagan H.
“We always say ‘gifts not necessary’ for a birthday, and if you do decide to gift keep it small. We open all gifts after the party so the focus on the party is just on having a good time with friends. I’m also a firm believer in hand written thank you notes and as soon as my kid is old enough to help with that they have cute little full in the blank ones to make it easy for kids.” – Jennifer G.
“Most of our family lives out of town and frequently send gifts for birthdays, holidays, etc… I video the kids opening them and the first and last thing they do is say “Thank you, Grandma!” somehow it sticks. Every time he plays with a toy he’ll pick it up and say thank you grandma for my truck!” – Raychel C.
“Our son is only 14 months but we do a daily reflection each night before bed: what we’re thankful for, what might worry us to let it go into the world, and think of people who made need some extra good vibes.” – Amanda G.
“I think that gratitude is only half of the pie. The other half is to be able to find the joy in giving and helping others. Especially around the holiday season, we strive to focus on giving rather than getting. We have never asked our daughter what she wants for Christmas or what she wants to ask Santa for. Rather we talk with her about what she wants to give to others and encourage her to reflect on things other people like and what would make them happy.” – Erin S.
“Every couple hours I stop with the kids and we all say what we are grateful for in that moment. It has been fun! Kids say the cutest things and it truly reminds me to be thankful for the most simple things. My son has been thankful for a door, trees, raccoon, his bro starting to walk!” – Leah E.
“We write thank you notes! I learned this from my sister in law – she has always had her 4 kids write a thank you note and include a drawing or anything age appropriate that the kiddo could contribute. I aim to teach this to my son and potential future kiddos. For now, I write the thank you and trace my sons hand or have him make tiny marks on the paper (since he’s still so little!)” – Jamie J.
So many of our readers stressed the importance of writing thank you notes! And we couldn’t agree more!
Do you have ways you infuse gratitude in your lives? We want to hear about it!
This post is sponsored by Lake Forrest Preparatory School, an organization whose mission we love. We are proud to partner with companies that provide such incredible services to local families. Thanks for supporting companies that support Momlando.
Lake Forrest Preparatory School aspires to create an atmosphere where school is an extension of the family: a school environment where teacher, parent, and student interactions involve solid connections, enriching lessons, and responsibility on the part of all three participants. Throughout preschool, elementary, and middle school, LFPS instills healthy choices and character education. Located in Maitland, LFPS is a private school for families throughout Orlando looking for community and a top notch education.
