A few blogs ago I think I touched on the arrival of a wee bit of attitude overtaking my sweet little granddaughter. We have made the attempt to squelch the onset by the phrase.. "A little less attitude and a little more gratitude!" I recently read an article in a magazine about giving your kids (and grandkids) the gift of gratitude. I was pleased that the subject was broached and even more pleased with the simple, yet effective ways to enhance, if not to teach all together, this important virtue:
Gratitude Ping Pong - One person offers something they are grateful for and then the other takes a turn. The only rule is no one can repeat the other's answer. Soon the attitude turns to gratitude.
Thankful Time at the dinner table- After everyone is seated, each one names one thing they're thankful for that day! Pretty simple and it can trump grace.
Get in the habit - To practice the art of gratitude. Wrap a small item (anything in the house will work) and give it to your child (or adult....heck they often need practice too) and have them open and say something positive. For example, if they receive a single sock they could say, "This will go perfectly with my other sock. Thank you so much!" It teaches them to think on the spot and reminds them to be grateful for whatever they are given!!!!!
Put gratitude on display - Hang a poster board in the kitchen and everyone draws or adds something they are grateful for each day. At the end of the month, they rehash all the good things that happened that month.... The not so great things are usually forgotten.
As kids get older, and need a little nudge in the thankful department, maybe birthday gifts could be monetary and the celebrant could give some or all of their "gifts" to the charity of their choice. It really is a good feeling to give...... often more so than to receive!!! (Thanks Buzz for passing that virtue on......at least to me)
If you have young children, (or grandchildren) it's never too early to practice gratitude before the attitude has had a chance to invade. It's not pretty and it's not tolerable. It's also not a really big thing and one might think it's much ado about nothing. It's a small effort to take to instill appreciation. In today's hectic environment and technology top heavy lifestyle, gratitude may be a far reaching step forward while attitude will undoubtedly set you back.
I am thankful for all of you who "waste" a few minutes of your day reading my "outside voice!"
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