After a refreshing long weekend, I am now returning to school wondering how we can prolong the ideals we just celebrated. It's interesting (and even more poignant south of the border) that we finish up celebrating Thanksgiving - the state of being content - and are coaxed quickly to want and desire more (yes, the Christmas shopping season will arrive any day, and the stores will make sure we know!!!)
How do we teach our kids to be thankful; to live in gratitude? As with anything else, we can choose to speak about it, preach about it, discuss it, and cheer it on. BUT, unless we practice it, our (their) lives will never change.
Ann, a favourite blogger of mine, shares her family's experience developing gratitude... a daily practice that they do to be thankful. They made gratitude lists. These lists began with the obvious: food, family, friends, God, church, school, a home, etc etc etc. As the lists continued, however, they were forced to delve more deeply to discover all of the things they take for granted, and actually are thankful for. Her little experiment had some surprising results, and her follow up research proved that the benefits would reach even further than a state of mind... (you can read more at http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/03/how-to-help-raise-grateful-kids/ )
As parents (and teachers), we can model it:
A number of years ago, I recall trying to get my kids out to the park. It was a typical day where leaving the house became a burden and I wasn't particularly gracious or gentle or forgiving, and certainly not grateful. After a few harsh commands and finally getting out the door, we were off to the park. As I rounded the corner with our stroller (not looking), I almost knocked someone off of the sidewalk. My immediate reaction was of apology. I backed up, and the 'almost crashed into person' and I stopped for a friendly conversation. My last words to the man were "I'm so glad you weren't hurt!"
Ten steps down the sidewalk, my toddler son turned in the stroller and asked me to stop. After getting my undivided attention, he said to me "Dad, you are a kind man." My heart stopped for a moment. Thankfully, by the grace of God, my kids are influenced by my positive behaviours and not just my not-so-nice ones. That moment of kindness, thankfulness, and gratitude was noticed by an impressionable toddler, and God saw to it through his little voice that I would never forget that.
So, from now until Christmas.... how are we going to model gratitude for our kids?
Being plugged into God is a necessary start to living as children of light in a world so desperate to escape darkness. How can we shine light as an alternative to wanting more 'stuff'? Maybe I'll start a gratitude list. How about you and your family?
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