Raising Thankful Kids

You've probably noticed.  I can't keep my blog up like I used to.  

I'm in a very full season of life and I don't have to tell you how that is.  You've been through one too, I'm sure.  I get what I can get done each day and the things I can't get to just have to wait.  

I've got a new little motto - {if you will} - People before projects.  

There's a lot of peopleness going on here.  

I promised you a post on raising thankful kids.  We all want thankful children, right?  I know I do.  I not only want to increase gratitude in my own life but I'd like to see that in my children also.  

Here are some simple and fun ways to raise kids who are thankful:

• Have your children write thank you notes (or decorate them if younger). This small act of gratitude goes a long way in helping children to recognize and remember the gift they've been given, and the giver.   

• Make sure your kids are helping out around the house and doing chores. It's a fact - children who work are more thankful than those who have everything done for them.  

• Look for opportunities to include your children in buying and giving to others.  Instead of putting your child's name on a gift tag to say a present is "from" them, have them help shop for a gift, maybe even pay for the gift with their own money, and wrap the gift.  Thankful children know what it is to give to others.

• Train the children to always say please and thank you.  Always.  To the waitress, to the mom who hosted them for a play date, to their siblings, neighbors, the librarian, family members and friends.  

• See to it that you are setting the gratitude example.  Our children are great imitators of everything we do - the good, the bad, and the ugly.  BE THANKFUL!

• Every night at dinner have each family member share one thing they are thankful for.  This is a fun one we like to do each night at suppertime or Bible time.  It helps everyone to remember we have so much to be thankful for.

• Don't buy them everything they want.  Really, don't.  A child who gets everything they want, when they want it, is rarely a thankful child.  Waiting for something is good -it increases thankfulness.

Those are some of my ideas.  What are yours?  How do you help your kids to be thankful?  

Here are a couple of little projects we've done in the past.

The Giving Thanks Tree

Thankful Pumpkins  (You will have to scroll down a bit on the post to find the pumpkins.)  

The Gnome Garden

These rainy days can be sort of hard on the kids.  No biking, no sidewalk chalk, no running and playing outside...it's been raining for days.

We've had to get creative with activity choices.

Olivia and I made a garden for her gnome.

It all started at the library.  We stopped by to pick up a few books and the kids brought along their reading logs.  Olivia had read 20 books and was eligible for the next reward.  She chose this guy...a gnome.  {He's now affectionately known around our house as "Gnomie".}  I don't know what it was that caused Olivia to fall so in love with him, but she has.  There is a sign hanging near the library entrance that says the library gnome is hiding somewhere inside.  I'm not sure if she thought she found him or what, but from the minute she picked this little guy she acted like he was her long lost BFF.  She has taken very good care of him and suddenly everyone in the family is playing along.  Oh my.

So...what's one to do on a very rainy day?  Make a gnome garden, of course!

I'm not going to bore you with any kind of directions because of course, there are none.  Olivia planted mint in her gnome garden and that was strictly because it smelled good.  (And because she's seven, that too.)  You could plant anything, do anything, with this project.  It is a lot of fun and did keep her busy for a while.  She found little things to put in her garden and has already started making plans for the changing seasons.  She saw a bag of tiny pumpkins at Hobby Lobby the other day and announced she would be buying those in October to add to her garden.  I have to say, that wheel barrel piled high with miniature pumpkins would be super cute.

So if you are looking for a rainy day project (if you aren't - tell me where you live because I'm coming for a visit!) this is a fun one.  Simple, inexpensive, kid-friendly fun - my kind of project!

Laying Down the To-Do List

I learned a great lesson the other day.  And I'm glad I did.

Your children are not interrupting your work.  Your children are your work.

A little girl, not feeling well said," Mommy I want you to hold me".  I would have, but the kitchen was a mess and I needed to get that cleaned up first.

Same little girl, short time later, "Mommy, my head hurts.  Will you hold me?"  "Yes, sweetie.  I will in just a minute.  I'm going to run upstairs and move the laundry.  I will be right back".

Laundry moving, kitchen cleaned, living room picked up.  Little girl, "Mommy, when are you going to hold me?"  I answered, "Just a second".

Several chores later, "Mommy, you said you would hold me.  I don't feel good".

Finally, I sit down in the old most comfortable chair and the little girl climbs on my lap.  She curls into me and looks up with big green eyes and says, "Thank you Mommy."  {Oh, my heart.}  She doesn't move, just closes her eyes and smiles.  She's warm.  I kiss her head.  Her hair smells so sweet.  I look at her little feet curled up.  She is so content.  Why did she have to wait so long?  Why didn't I stop what I was doing?  My work can wait until later.  She needs me.  I must remember to lay down my to-do list for my children.

Green Means Go

Do you ever feel as if you are saying the same things over and over?  It happens here.  Today I decided the children needed a visual reminder.  


I had the younger kids make stoplights

 using construction paper and glue.

I don't know where I will hang these permanently but for now I have put them on a shelf in the dining room (where we do most of our school work).  Each day the children will begin their morning on the green light.  I'm using clothes pins to mark the place.  If they do something they are told not to do (disobey) they get 1 warning and the clip moves to yellow.  If they get in trouble again, the clip will move to red.  At red, privileges are lost.  Where the clip is at the end of the school day will determine what they get to do after school.  If the clip is on green at the end of school time they can go outside to play.  If the clip is on red, they won't be getting to play outside after school and may have to do some extra work.  Keeping the clip in the green is very important if they want to keep their free time/play time.  I'm hoping the visual reminder will help them and will prevent me from giving so many warnings and repeating myself over and over.  I'm not recommending this for major disobedience such as lying or disrespecting parents.  I'm using this for things like talking during school time when they are supposed to work without talking or not doing as they're told. 
 

The clips are on green now.  I hope they stay there!

Sometimes visual reminders can really help children exercise self control.  I make a lot of charts and things for that very reason.  It helps if things are clear and easy for children to understand.  If I'm not paying careful attention I will give too many warnings for the same thing.  With the help of this project I plan on giving only 1 warning and moving the clip to yellow.  I hope it never goes to red but I have a feeling someone might check to see if the stoplight really "works".  


I try to remember not to view behavior issues as another problem, but view them as training opportunities.  

50 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR CHILDREN

1.  Hug every morning.  2.  Go to zoos, parades and amusement parks.  3.  Hang their art and awards on the refrigerator.  4.  Create family traditions.  5.  Be patient.  6.  Apologize when grumpy.  7.  Go camping.  8.  Play tic-tac-toe and hide-and-seek.  9.  Always carry band aids and gum drops.  10.  Know their strengths.  11.  Compliment them.  12.  Encourage them.  13.  Appreciate them.  14.  Eat meals together.  15.  Slow down.  16.  Respect their privacy.  17.  Listen.  18.  Don't discipline in anger.  19.  Be consistent.  20.  Say "I love you" frequently.  21.  Let them be silly.  22.  Accept imperfections.  23.  Reward good behavior.  24.  Explain the rules clearly.  25.  Laugh often.  26.  Go to their favorite restaurant.  27.  Invite their friends over.  28.  Buy ice cream cones.  29.  Go on vacations.  30.  Know when to be gentle and when to be firm.  31.  Make birthdays unforgettable.  32.  Teach responsibility with respect.  33.  Choose your battles.  34.  Don't embarrass them.  35.  Help with schoolwork.  36.  Protect them.  37.  Build memories.  38.  Keep promises.  39.  Say "no" when needed.  40.  Don't yell.  41.  Give gifts.  42.  Model virtues.  43.  Pray with them.  44.  Pray for them.  45.  Tell them you are proud of them.  46.  Reach out.  47.  Count stars together.  48.  Talk every bedtime.  49.  Keep their hearts.  50.  Let go with a blessing.