The holiday season is finally upon us and while many of our students are looking forward to breaks from homework and the pressures of school, it’s very important not to lose sight of the rich opportunities to learn and grow as we enjoy our break. Thanksgiving is this week, and although many of us can’t wait to sink our teeth into a delicious slice of turkey or pie, we also have a chance to give back to those less fortunate than us and also to express gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy not only on this hoilday, but everyday. With this is mind, find three ways below you can keep the spirit of gratitude flowing in your home during this season:
Serve Others: One of the greatest ways to gain appreciation for what we have is to expose ourselves to those who lack. Whether it be adequate housing, food, or other daily necessities, the opportunity to serve others offers an invaluable experience in giving back that not only affords children the opportunity to meet a need but also to realize many of the blessings they have and may not even notice on a day-to-day basis. If you have the time, consider spending a portion of your holiday serving food to the homeless or donating food or hygiene items to those in need. Many of the things we use every day such as bath tissue or a poncho for the rain would go a long way for a person in need. Coming from a background where Thanksgiving dinner was often made possible through the donations of other generous families, my family developed a love of generosity and imparting that into the younger generations of children. Modeling this type of generosity and giving is an excellent way to create a legacy of charity and expressions of kindness for children that is intregral to their development as well-rounded and compassionate human beings.
Have a Talk: When I was a little girl my mother would often ask me thought provoking questions that would get the wheels in my mind turning. In the midst of my Barbie play time she might say something like “did you know that there are little girls who don’t have clean water to drink?” I didn’t always like these conversations, especially when they seemed to put a damper on my fun times, but I grew up well aware that I needn’t travel to a third world country or the inner city to find people in need, because many of them were right in my town and community, sometimes they were my classmates, or in my Sunday school class. This awareness opened my eyes to many of the things I took for granted daily, and also fostered a heart to have concern for others as I grew into an adult. In the midst of the holiday season, consider bringing to your child’s attention that there are people who may not have a warm place to sleep, healthy food or loved ones to gather with…not to add a depressing aura to the season but to encourage gratitude for what they have.
Write It Out: I am a big fan of writing as a form of expressing gratitude. As adults, it’s easy to get bogged down by daily responsibilities, challenges and occasional setbacks. In the same way, our children deal with a lot as well and it may be easy for them to lose sight, or not even be aware, of all they have to be thankful for. To that end, gratitude journals are a great way to literally come face to face with the things we appreciate. For a child these are easy to start with a simple notebook used to list a daily area of thankfulness. Another option is to use sticky notes on a designated wall or refrigerator where your children can list things they are thankful for throughout the season and the entire family can enjoy reading them. You could also deposit small slips of paper with notes of thankfulness into a glass bowl or box to read at a later time. Additionally, consider having them write a letter to the person of their choice expressing gratitude. You may be surprised who comes to mind, often great impressions are made on children by their teachers, the cashier who always smiles at them when you’re grocery shopping or some other person you may not even think they would notice. In my family, we have a tradition of sharing what we are thankful for before we eat Thanksgiving dinner and it is always amazing even between family members how many things are mentioned that we may have never noticed made an impact on a loved one standing the room, yet the point is that people remember the things we do for them that made a difference and it’s important to let them know how much we appreciate them. In doing this with your child, the point is not to tell them who or what to be thankful for but rather to get them in the habit of expressing gratitude for those they appreciate. This will develop an interpersonal skill that will only serve to help them become more effective communicators as they grow into adults and also they will become comfortable with simply saying “thank you!”.
In closing, I am thankful for you! Each family that I work with is special and unique in their own way and I truly enjoy spending time with your children each week and I am thankful beyond words that you trust me to play such an important role in your children’s educational experience. I pray that you have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones!
God bless.
