Raising Grateful Kids

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raising-grateful-kids

When I began feeling led to do this 31 day series on cultivating gratitude, this idea was mostly sparked from reading and doing virtual book club on the book The Happiness Dare. I knew I wanted to linger over that book and not just set it aside after I was done reading. I wanted to be intentional about cultivating joy and gratitude in my own life.

I also knew I wanted to take my kids along on this journey. For years we have kept thankful lists, made thankful trees each fall, kept notebooks and named blessings each morning together. But, I still find that we can (all) be rather ungrateful and even entitled in our home.

I have had the book Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World on my shelf for a long time. I decided it was time to pick it up. Wowzers.

This book is wonderful. But it’s not for the faint of heart. As I read it, things cropped up that I didn’t even realize I was doing…things that are so much a part of our culture today that we think it’s normal and right. Like the things we buy our kids, their clothing, our homes, and even how much we use technology and allow our kids to use it.

Besides the actual materialism, this book gives so much practical advice. It isn’t preachy at all, the author is a mom in the trenches with teenagers just like me.

There are some neat resources in the back as well, like a “Cellphone Contract” between the parent and child. I am totally using this and copying it and going over it with my kids. There is a Christian Parent Manifesto that is wonderful. And recommended resources. Each chapter ends with some practical suggestions for “going against the flow…” and I LOVE these points in each chapter!

One of my favorite chapters in this book is called Gratitude is a Choice. She talks about helping our kids to be more intentionally thinking about gratitude and how blessed we are. Our kids aren’t going to go there on their own. As mothers, we must be intentional ourselves and with our children. She talks about complaining and grumbling and how our negative thoughts impact our gratitude. She also talks a lot about SERVING with your children and how that impacts our gratitude, too!

So, taking this knowledge and knowing how true it is in my own life, I need to be even more doubly intentional with my kids.

Cultivate

What are you doing in your home to raise grateful children? I would love to hear your ideas!

Join our Facebook Group of Encouragement

If you’d like to discuss this series, encourage others and receive encouragement along the journey, come to our closed group of encouragement and join us! You will need to request to join, I will click on your profile and as long as you look like a real person {grin} I will accept your request to join us!

I would love for you to post PICTURES of your gratitude journals or quotes or thoughts as we go along…use the hashtag #CultivateGratitude on Instagram and we can find each other!

Gratitude Resources