E5 5 Easy Ways to Make Your Family More Thankful

Hello Mama who may or may not have put the Halloween decorations away yet. 

I know the in-person and online stores are way ahead of me, but before I take a deep dive into how you can have a Christmas season you actually enjoy (coming next week!) – I think Thanksgiving deserves a minute. You with me? 

So, in honor of this holiday, I want to talk to you about how you can raise grateful kids. 

Here are some compelling reasons why you want to instill gratitude in your kids and embrace this as part of who you are as a family:

1. People who are thankful are happier

2. Gratitude is good for our health, emotional and physical

3. Thankfulness leads to a greater sense of well-being

How can we cultivate gratitude in our kids and as a family? 

1. One of the simplest ways is saying grace definitely at dinner, and why not every meal? Grace comes with a built-in reminder…every time we sit down for a meal. 

2. Make gratitude a part of your daily routine. During school pickups, around the dinner table, before bedtime, prompt your kids, “Name one thing you’re grateful for today.” “What was the best thing that happened to you today?” “Who is someone you appreciate today?” “Describe something that made you happy today?” 

3. Model gratitude. Just as we want our kids to say please and thank you, which are markers of gratitude, we should be saying the same. I believe this has a ripple effect and makes the world a kinder gentler place.

4. Have a gratitude jar. We had a jar in our kitchen with little slips of paper next to it and a marker nearby. 

5. Have some fun with gratitude – make a Thanksgiving Tree! Draw a gratitude tree on poster board or get some branches from the backyard and decorate it with paper leaves.  

Don’t miss the opportunity Thanksgiving brings. Involve your kids in some way of giving thanks.

Happy November, Mama! Don’t forget to breathe!

My blessing for you today is…

May you remember as the holidays get under way that God is a God of peace who offers you relief in the midst of your most stressful seasons. May you feel His peace settle over you even now as you hear this blessing. May you remember to breathe intentionally throughout your day and trust that God is your supply. He is enough when you feel depleted. He extends grace and mercy when you blow it. He loves you abundantly and without limit. Bless you, Mama. In Jesus’ name, amen.