Thankfulness

I came across this article today - I thought it was good and the book sounds helpful as well - wanted to pass it along!

What mom doesn't want to grow grateful kids? And by grateful we mean more than saying "thank you" without being prompted, although that would be nice. The kind of grateful we're talking about is the kid who somehow rises above the entitled, me-me-me attitude that seems so prevalent in our world today. Susie Larson's newest Hearts at Home book release Growing Grateful Kids tackles this issue with gusto.

Here are five strategies every mom can use this Thanksgiving season.

1. Model Thankfulness. "Cultivating a heart of gratitude in our children is impossible unless we ourselves are grateful. We can't impart something we do not possess."

2. Practice restraint. "In this day of entitlement, self-restraint has become a lost art. We do ourselves (and our kids) a great disservice if we never practice restraint."

3. Develop Compassion. "Our darling, self-centered children love it when life is all about them...we must interrupt their plans to be selfish and introduce them to the idea that God has a big giant heart for the least of these, and He has entrusted some of the world's needs to our care."

4. Embrace Contentment. "When our children watch us battle through our appetites and unfulfilled desires to find contentment, they'll learn that though it's not always an easy win, it is possible, and it is a good fight."

5. Give Grace. "When you blow it, give yourself some grace. When your kids act like the little humans that they are, correct them, teach them, forgive them, and then offer grace."

Megan, a mother of four, said after reading Susie's book, "The biggest lesson I learned is that growing grateful kids does not start with their hearts, it starts with mine."

(All quotes taken from Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson)