Happy November! This month is a great month to focus on thankfulness and gratitude. When Grayson went trick or treating the other night I would have to say, “what do you say?”, after every piece of candy that was dropped in his trick or treat bag.  Long story short my kid needs to learn how to be more thankful. I think I need to know how to be more thankful as well. Sometimes I focus on what I don’t have instead of focusing on what I do have.

Here are some tips on how to teach your family gratitude:

1. Saying what you are thankful for. Have a moment at dinner where everyone shares something they are thankful for. First of all, let’s talk about eating dinner at the dinner table. My husband and I fight over eating at the dinner table or eating in front of the tv with a T.V. tray. He was raised eating in front of the T.V. but I was raised eating at the table. I believe that there is something special about the dinner table. It’s the only time everyone can sit and eat together as a family without distractions. You can share your day and in this case, you can also share what you are thankful for.
2. Have them pitch in when they want something. I know you have been there when your kid wants something at Walmart. I want to pull my hair out every time we go to Walmart because Grayson will not quit asking for a toy. I have started to tell him, “Grayson, if you want a toy then you have to work for it.” So I am going to develop a chore chart. Once we complete his chores for the week he gets an allowance. He can save up his money and buy something that he really wants. This teaches him to be more grateful for his toys because he has to earn them. Check out this awesome chore chart here.
3. Writing Thank You letters. Handwritten letters are a dying art which is really saddening. There is something so genuine and classic with a handwritten thank you note. Grayson is just now learning how to write. This is a perfect time to teach him out to write the word thank you. Your kids can give thank you letters to their teachers, coaches, friends, and family. For example, the grandparents sent a Halloween card and Grayson can send a thank you letter back to them. I bet they would love it!
4. Saying Thank You. There are many ways we can set a good example for our kids and saying thank you is one of them. When you ask your kids to do something do you say thank you afterward? I try to remind myself to say thank you to Grayson after every instruction.

You are the biggest role model for your kids. You always will be. So the gratitude starts with you. Work on being more thankful and your kids will learn how to be more thankful as well. It’s really easy to see the glass half empty instead of half full. As positive as you think I might be, I can tell you that I have been there. Sometimes random acts of kindness from other people get me through the day.

I just want to say that I am super thankful to have you as a reader. The community that has been following me for all this time means so much to me. I remember one day a couple weeks ago I was crying and one of my followers told me how much I meant to her. It SAVED my day. I immediately stopped crying and pressed on.

Thank you for following along with me,

Abraidedblonde