Instilling Gratitude

Adina is finally reaching an age where she can make positive contributions to projects that we do together.  Not only is she getting better with coloring, cutting, and gluing, but I see a blossoming in her ideas as well.

This week, I decided to do a Thanksgiving project with her.  She doesn't really get the connection of the turkey animal to the turkey we eat yet, and I thought this whole concept would confuse her a bit.  So instead, I decided to do a "Thankful Project."  For the past week, at random points throughout the day, I would tell her something I was thankful for and ask her to do this as well.  While I have taught her to say, "Thank you," when given something, we had never before discussed the feeling of gratitude.

Yesterday, for our morning activity, we made an "Adina Tree" and a "Mommy Tree" by tracing our hands and arms.  Then, while Adina colored the "sunshine" all around the trees, I cut out leaves.  (She could relate to this project because she has been very into noticing the changing colors of the leaves and pointing out whether trees still have leaves or if they've lost them all already).  Before she glued each leaf on her tree, I asked her to tell me one thing she is thankful for.  It was slow going at first, but then she kept saying so many more that I needed to add "stickers" to her finger because we were out of leaves.

Now this project is all well and good, but the lesson for Mommy came later in the day.

Nap time didn't go quite as planned.  I felt tired.  The house was a mess and getting messier.

Yoni came home right in the middle of it.

Cheerfully, he asked, "How was your day sweetie?"

Poor guy.  I started in on my laundry list of complaints.

Yoni calmly sat down and said to me, "Do you feel ok?"

"Yes," I responded.

"And the kids are healthy?" He asked.

"Yes, they are."

"Did you eat a good lunch and breakfast today?"

At first, I thought he was asking questions to try to figure out if there was a reason for my not so cheerful mood.  Then I realized he was giving me perspective.  Yes, there were a couple of things to complain about. But look at all of the things to be thankful for!  Just a few hours before, I had sat down with Adina discussing how many things we should be thankful for, and here she sees me telling Aba all the negatives.

It seems as though the best way to teach children gratitude is to constantly dwell on things we are grateful for ourselves.  Making thankful trees for art projects are fun, but I need to internalize the concept so that I can impart it on my kids.  Lesson learned. :)