“There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.” Sometimes it’s the simplest quotes that hold the most power. This one has stuck with me because it is just so true. No matter where you are in life, whether you’re going through a rough patch or riding a wave of good, there is always, always something to be thankful for.
Admittedly, it doesn’t always feel like that. Sometimes our lives feel so challenging that the best we can do is be thankful for the things we often take for granted — a roof over our heads, food to eat, clean water, the kind smile from a passerby, literacy, family, and friends. During one of the harder times in my life, a friend challenged me to find three positives about my day before going to bed. This simple act changed my mindset, and in reality, my life.
Teaching your children to have an attitude of gratitude is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.
It teaches them to find the good, to have a positive outlook and results in a plethora of amazing outcomes. The more you practice and model seeing the positives, the easier and more natural it becomes. November, the season of THANKSGIVING, aka GIVING THANKS, is a great time to model these good habits.
Below are some cute and family friendly ways to instill an attitude of gratitude that double as holiday decorations! I prefer to do activities that I can save for years to come and enjoy the memories as I pull them out of the Thanksgiving box each year.
*Be sure to click on each image for directions and free printables!*
1. Turkeys with Feathers Full of Thankfulness
Here a few variations of this. Each family member can fill out a feather each day or you can rotate between yourselves. We did this a few years ago and had a beautiful full turkey on our wall. I also laugh each year at the memory of the time when my son wrote what I thought said MOM on a feather. Misty-eyed, I thanked him and he proudly declared, “Yeah, I wrote WOW all by myself.”
2. Positive Pumpkins
I love how beautiful and simple this one is! You could use a foam or plastic pumpkin so that you can save it from year to year!
3. Gratitude Frames
Grab a frame, some scrapbook paper, and a dry erase marker and you have an adorable, simple, new tradition! You could even do this on a chalkboard. Since you will be erasing these daily, snap a picture each day and create a photo collage of all of them together to creating a beautiful memory.
4. Thankful Jars
We did this one last year and it was a hit! It made for a pretty centerpiece and the kids loved the cutting and gluing aspect. We wrote on the back of the leaves, but you can also write on the popsicle sticks as shown in the picture below.
5. Thanksgiving Tree
How beautiful to bring the outdoors in! I might give this one a try this year.
Whatever your traditions, your situation, your phase of life, please do yourself and your family the favor of seeking out the positives. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Always.
Please share some of your favorite ways to teach your children gratitude. How do you plan to embrace it this holiday season?
