Day Sixteen- An Attitude of Gratitude

Children are naturally self-centered beings.  Because they are always growing and learning, it comes as no surprise that their focus is often primarily on themselves.  However, left unchecked, the tendency towards being self-centered quickly leads to selfish and demanding behavior. How do we combat this?  I think the best way is by helping our children to develop an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful or appreciative.  Learning to be thankful puts the focus on what we have, rather than on what we don’t have.  Since whatever we focus on gets bigger, we need to keep our focus in the right place.

It is nearly impossible to be selfishly motivated when counting your blessings.  Also, when we are thankful, we can find contentment and peace.  Striving to get more stuff or to get our own way is exhausting.  I’ll take peace over chaos any day!

Delayed gratification is a valuable concept that we need to be constantly working on with our kids.  Teaching them to wait for the things that they want is a lesson that will serve them well throughout their lives.  Perhaps this is a lesson that we as parents also need to learn. What do you do while you wait?  Keep giving thanks for all that you have and for all that you will receive in the future!

Cultivate an attitude of gratitude in your home.  You will be thankful that you did!

“The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!”  ~Henry Ward Beecher