Why 27? It’s nearly a month full with a couple of days off. Add more anytime you’d like to!
The older your child, the bigger part he or she can play in it. For little kids especially, you might model raking the leaves more than expect your children to do the heavy lifting. (I bet they’ll have lots of fun jumping in piles and bagging them up, though!) Modelling gratitude without making the work obligatory helps keep the spirit of it all authentic. And of course, opportunities to volunteer increase with your child’s age. Again, the focus here is togetherness. Take time to be present with your kiddos, and that alone will be joyful for you both!
Brainstorm random acts of kindness with your child. Once you’ve gone through the list and made random acts of kindness part of your routine, challenge your children to continue with their own ideas. Let them continue to observe you treating others well without expecting anything in return. After all, that’s one of the gifts that gratitude fosters, isn’t it?
Bonus: a craft to keep gratitude top of mind in your home.
A gratitude garland is an inexpensive and fun craft that helps kids be mindful of gratitude every day. It’s also a lovely option for those of us whose crafts aren’t, say, Pinterest-worthy. (I’m raising my hand here. Heck, I can barely pack a lunchbox without a map.)
Most of what you need are common household items:
- Construction paper
- Safety scissors
- Kid-safe cookie cutters or something else to trace
- Fun pens or crayons
- Thick twine or pretty yarn
- Colourful paperclips
You and your kids can trace and cut out whatever shape (or shapes) you plan to use. Each day, write one thing for which you’re thankful on one of the shapes. Cut a small hole in your shape. Feed your twine or yarn through it, and make sure you cut a long enough length of yarn to last awhile. Use a paperclip to secure your shape to the yarn. Hang the yarn somewhere visible in your home, and each day, recount your blessings together as you add a new one. We find that hanging it over the door frame in the kitchen works well.
One of the great things about gratitude is the more kids see it in action throughout the entire year, the easier it is for them to perpetuate.
It takes practice sometimes. For all of us. But gratitude itself can be one of the best gifts of all, and it never needs to be wrapped with a bow.
Originally published here.
Sarah Moore is a published writer, positive parenting educator, wellness advocate, and world traveller. Her work spans the globe, reaching readers on six continents and appearing in publications such as The Natural Parent Magazine, Scary Mommy, and Macaroni Kid.
She has been certified by the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring. She wholeheartedly recommends the course for parents, educators, and all others who influence the lives of children.
She also holds BA/MFS degrees in Journalism, French, and Media/Arts/Cultural Production. Read more about Sarah here.
You can follow Sarah at Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting on Pinterest | Facebook |Instagram |Twitter.
