In 5 weeks parents all over will be freaking out about how in the world they will teach their kids how to be thankful. Here's the thing: our "little sponges" are learning all along by watching you and I. Today I want to encourage you with 3 simple ways of being intentional about teaching (and living) your children to be thankful.
1. Change your Mind - You can't give what you don't have so if like me you have a Professional Complainer disposition, change your mindset. The easiest way to renew your mind and enter into a thanksgiving lifestyle is to know what God has to say about it. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." God wants us to live with a thankful disposition. Thankful people have a different way of interpreting the world because they see things from a Godly perspective.
2. Practice what you Preach - My father started jogging in his 40s and he also increased the nutrition in his food choices. Only after I saw this I believed that I too could live a healthier lifestyle. More was caught than countless hours of teaching from my father. In the same manner we teach our children to be thankful by practicing Thanksgiving. How often do you thank people for doing things for you on a regular basis? Be bold in practicing Thanksgiving in front of your kids because they are eagerly absorbing your behavior.
3. Make it Fun and Purposeful - Be sure that the Thanksgiving activities you do with your kids have a purpose. You can teach kids to be thankful to others by making Thank You cards or crafts and actually delivering them to different people. This way your kids will be able to see the impact of thanksgiving in the heart of the recipient. Meal times are natural, daily times to teach children to be thankful. You can tell your kids that Jesus was thankful for His food (Luke 22:19) and so should we. This year when you think of Thanksgiving crafts, make it purposeful by showing your kids that thanksgiving is a blessing to others.
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