This month we are concentrating on gratitude.
I think it's a big concept for an almost four year old and a two year old to grasp, so we've been learning what gratitude means.
What is gratitude?
Gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, or appreciation is a feeling, emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive. {thank you google!!}
In Sophie's four year old words....
Gratitude means that I say thank you when someone does something nice for me/to me.
Admittedly I was glad that she didn't say "I have to say thanks because my mom makes me."
To help with the concept of being thankful we have each started saying one thing that we are grateful for at the beginning of lunch and dinner. The girls used to say "cheese. milk. cookies...." but now are starting to think about what they are grateful for - which has been awesome to watch!
We are setting up a gratitude tree in our dining room that will hold the blessings that we are thankful for, ornaments/decorations that we make, and letters from and to our sponsor children.
After a month of talking daily about being thankful....
On Sunday, during the Children's sermon the children were asked what they were thankful for. Without prompting Sophie raised her hand and said "I'm thankful for Mommy!" - which made me cry. She is shy in church and this is the first time she has voluntarily answered a question. She is also asking Daddy to pray before meals, and saying "thank you" without prompting.
I would encourage you to help your kids count their blessings, or make a gratitude jar or tree.....anything that will help them see how very blessed they are!
