Gratitude is powerful! If you Google the words "gratitude" and "health" you will find countless studies that show your levels of gratitude and thankfulness affect your mental and physical health. But, did you know gratitude affects your child's mental and physical well-being as well? It does. There is no better time to teach your children a spirit of thankfulness than during the holiday season. When selfishness and the "gimmies" are at an all-time there is something you can do to combat it.
On a personal note, Gratitude is something I am using to help me overcome the depression and postpartum I have experienced these last few months. Gratitude really is life changing! So, to help you and your children have an attitude of gratitude, I want to share with you five ways to grateful and joyful kids this holiday season:
1. Make a space for Thanks- Find empty wall space in your home to put up sticky notes of things you are thankful for. Try to fill up a whole wall with sticky notes of thanks! Or, hang a large piece of craft paper by your back door and have your family write what they are thankful for every time they come in or go out of the door. If your children are small and not able to write yet, write it for them icon smile The Power of Gratitude Five Ways to Grateful and Joyful Kids this Holiday Season
2. Gratitude journal If you don't want to put your thanks up on the wall start a family gratitude journal. Buy a pretty journal, some fun new pens, and put it in your kitchen. Encourage your kids to write daily gratitudes. A gratitude journal is a great way to encourage thankfulness on a private level as well. This is one of the ways I'm combating my depression by keeping a gratitude journal. It doesn't have to be fancy, or long, just write something you are thankful for. If you have older children, encourage them to start their own personal journal.
3. Volunteer with your family- This is a great way to practice gratitude is to serve with your children. Found out if you can help at a soup kitchen, volunteer to ring the bell for the Salvation Army, or contact one of your local nursing homes to see what you can do to help brighten the day of the residents there.
4. Secret Santa. Adopt a family this holiday season and shower them with blessings this holiday season. Have your children pick out gifts for the family and be part of the fun. Make sure you explain to them the difference between thankfulness and selfishness and how good it feels to bless others.
5. Bedtime thanks. After you snuggle your little one's under the covers ask them this question, "How are you thankful today?" Encourage them to share examples of goodness, kindness, and love. This is a tip I got from a speaker at my local MOPS meeting a few weeks ago and one I LOVE! I am going to start doing this with my children.
This is a beautiful time of year for so many of our families and we have lots to be thankful for. But, it is also a very sad and lonely time for many. Encourage your children to practice gratitude this holiday season. I also want to challenge you to adopt this lifestyle for yourself and not just for your children. I hope these tips will help you and your family this holiday season. I would love to hear what you think! Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you are going to do this holiday season to keep an attitude of gratitude.
Raychel Chumley, aka "The Wife Coach", has a heart for women of all ages and stages. She gives real, practical, and hard-hitting advice that all women can relate too. Her mission is to encourage, inspire, and equip women to live a more beautiful life, inside and out. Raychel gives women the tools they need to create the lives and marriages they have always dreamed of. Raychel has a BS in Psychology and Biblical Counseling, is an AACC trained Life Coach, and is soon to be a Board Certified Biblical Counselor.
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