​3 Ways to Celebrate National Gratitude Month with Your Kids

It’s everywhere: November is #NationalGratitudeMonth and this year, for many families, it’s even more meaningful than most years. And contrary to popular belief, it’s much more than manners and politeness.

And the Research #OnGratitude Says:

It’s a proven “thing” now, through research, that just thinking about gratitude, and conjuring up feelings of gratitude, can help us immensely when it comes to moods, stress, illness, anxiety, depression, sleep, blood pressure, relationships—and even with school grades for kids.

#GratitudeList – Oldies, Still Goodies

We’ve curated a short list of practices and traditions, and even though some of these sources are from past years, they are still very impactful and that’s why we recommend them.

1. From ThriveGlobal.com come these goodies:

• Call or text a friend, colleague, or family member, and thank them for something specific that they’ve done to bring goodness into your life.
• Stop by a fire station (with social distancing in mind, of course!), police station, or USPS office and drop off thank you note and a treat. As ThriveGlobal says, “Everyone should be grateful for the services they offer in our communities!”
• Have fun teaching your children gratitude – and send meals to those less fortunate at the same time! Check out Turkey on the Table for the whole family. ThriveGlobal says, “Not only will it provide a visual display of your family’s thankfulness, it will act as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving at the end of the month.”
• Watch the Feeding America video here (click on the image):

(Source: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/make-november-a-month-of-gratitude/ )

2. We discovered these Appreciation projects on The Organized Mom:

Bet you and your kids will have a lot of fun with these activities--we can't wait to try them!

• a Gratitude Jar
• a Family Gratitude Journal
• a Gratitude Game
• Gratitude books & stories
• Gratitude Stones
• a Thankful Tree
• a Gratitude Wall

To find out more about these activities, click here.

3. Teach your kids that the world is a lot bigger than their own point of view.

We all know that kids start out being self-centered until they learn about the world around them—and to empathize with what’s around them.

The easiest place to begin is outside (with social-distancing precautions these days). Take them with you and show them nature, communities, culture, the arts, flora and fauna, the skies. Let the appreciation begin, and work it into a habit!