It’s the month of cooler weather, changing leaves, turkeys, and thankfulness. The year is coming to a close, but there’s so much to celebrate in the remaining weeks. It’s easy to get caught up in event, holiday preparations, buying gifts, picking out the perfect decorations, and trying to check off your yearly goals…so much so that we forget to stop and remember what Thanksgiving is all about: being thankful. So this year, let’s celebrate thankfulness all month long, not just on the fourth Thursday of the month. And we’re talking about the whole family! Bring your kids along for the thankfulness ride, and see how being thankful can change the temperature in your family’s home.
Practicing thankfulness doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as going around the dinner (or breakfast) table every day and asking everyone to say one thing they’re thankful for. Or you could add this simple practice to your child’s bedtime routine. Another idea for practicing thankfulness is to go on a thankfulness family walk. Go on a nature walk and point out what you are thankful for, or just name whatever you are thankful for, even if it’s not nature-related. Sometimes it can take some time to get our thankful muscles working, but once they get warmed up, it’s amazing to realize how much we have to be thankful for.
Another way your family can practice thankfulness this month is by writing a letter to a grandparent, teacher, or friend, letting them know why you are thankful for them. Most times, kids love the idea of mailing a letter to someone they love. This step takes thankfulness a step further and encourages someone else. Think of it as a thankfulness train! Ask your kids to start a thankfulness train, and ask the recipients of your letters to keep the train going.