5 Ways to Help Your Children Grow in Gratitude This Thanksgiving

1. Create an "I'm Thankful" Tree or List

When my kids were preschoolers, we would get out some brown, green, red, and orange coloring paper and make a huge tree. We would then add colorful leaves that we wrote things we were thankful for on. Our tree wasn't necessarily beautiful (although I am sure those who are craftier than me could make it into a masterpiece), but it was a simple centerpiece of thankfulness for the season. For preschoolers cutting, coloring, and talking together about what to add to our tree gives them a hands-on way to internalize that Thanksgiving is about gratitude.

As my kids have grown, our practice has shifted, but the idea of finding a way to write and display things we are thankful for has remained constant. Now my kids can create more sophisticated art on their own and include whole sentences on what they see as the best gifts they have in their lives.

It is important for every person in our family to take time to create a list that is either artistic or simple of what we are thankful for in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Honestly, my kids can get so focused on what they want to receive as we enter the holiday season that we must help them remember what they have already been gifted with. When we post our lists or art around our house, we have a visual reminder that God is good, and we can praise him for what he has given us in this season.

2. Use Art to Document Things They Are Thankful For

If your kids aren't into writing, another fun way to note what they are thankful for is through art. They can take their camera out and photograph the things they love most and create a photo collage. Paint or sketch some of their favorite memories or things. Create a photo book of their top experiences from this past year. Let them use their artistic skills to tell a story of thankfulness.

This personalized display can help center your family's Thanksgiving day conversations around the amazing gifts God has given your family. These photos, artwork, and more can help point your attention to the good around you and remind you of the reason you have to rejoice. Art is always a great way to get your kids excited about participating in a project!

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/twinsterphoto

3. Allow Your Kids to Serve Others This Thanksgiving

Changing your perspective and putting yourself in someone else's shoes is one of the best ways to help your kids grow in gratitude. Honestly, nothing is more powerful than seeing how you can help others in need. You give your kids the chance to hear the stories of others whose lives may differ greatly from theirs. They get the chance to make an immediate difference. It also allows them to compare the circumstances of others to their lives, often giving them a reality check that lets them know how privileged they are.

Show some love as a family by diving into a service project in your community. Being willing to love others! This is a great way to show your kids that they can make a difference even if your circumstances aren't perfect!

4. Meal-Time Thanksgiving

During one season, when my kids were really having a lot of trouble getting along, I started making them say at least one nice thing about each of their siblings during mealtimes. They hated this activity, and sadly, the first few times they had to complete this task, it was a struggle for them. Nonetheless, after a few days of being intentional about saying positive things about each of their siblings, their behavior towards each other did improve, and the task got much easier with practice.

This Thanksgiving, I hope to prompt them in a similar way, giving them a little more freedom than just saying nice things about their siblings and allowing them to list other things they are thankful for at each meal we sit down together. I hope this practice brings to the forefront of all our minds the many ways we are blessed this Fall.

5. Help Your Kids Practice Giving

My kids receive so many new things over the holiday season! They are overloaded with excitement and gifts. One way we love to prepare for this inundation is to go through our home and identify things we can give away to bless others. My kids choose clothes, toys, books, and more that they no longer use, and we find others to donate them to.

There are a ton of other great ways to practice giving generously as a family! Some others we have done in the past are packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We have sponsored a local family that is unable to provide Christmas for their children and bought gifts for them to give out. We have given to our local food bank to help them restock. Donating to foster families with extra kids in their homes is a great way to support them this season.

Get your child involved in giving others their time and your family's resources. This models to them that things are not our God; they are tools God gives us to live and serve others with. Somehow giving freely helps us live with more gratitude for what we do have.

Psalm 77:11 says, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old."

God invites us to remember what he has done for us; remembering is important in helping us to keep the faith. Our kids need us to model gratitude so as they grow, they learn how to see God's hand at work in the details of their lives.