Hi and Welcome to Happily Ever Mom!
Today, we’re talking about DONTS when raising grateful kids.
You might have stumbled upon this post if:
- You want to learn more about raising grateful kids
- You’re worried about this generations entitlement
- Or, you’re curious what DONTS we’re listing today!
If that’s you, I’m excited to share this post today (I am the last one by the way!).
Before we get to the list, I’ve got to share a story with you. It’s the reason that I wrote this post in the first place.
Why I’m interested in DONTS when raising grateful kids…
My daughter has a recent obsession with beanie boo stuffed animals. I think it’s all the rage for kindergarten girls. Who could possible resist beanie babies with larger eyes and softer fur?
Recently, I picked one up for her while I was away on a trip.
While my daughter was over the moon that she finally had her first beanie boo, that stuffed animal was all over the house. Under beds. In between couch cushions. On the floor. In the dirty laundry bin. It went everywhere and often got lost even though it was my daughter’s FAVORITE.
Now’s the time to mention that we have a stuffed animal loving puppy who particularly loves gnawing on stuffed animal noses. So, one day when we came home, we found her first beanie boo without a nose.
My daughter was devastated.
Real, hard tears streamed down her face. She screamed something about how special it was because Mommy had picked it out and brought it back from a trip (all very true). But, after a while she said…
Well, we’ll just get another one.
My daughter is the kindest, most generous little girl you will ever find, but in that moment, I could tell that we were missing a connection between her things and their value.
I couldn’t fathom her thinking that everything we own is so easily replaced. I mean, why care for anything at all in our home if we can simply go out and buy another one?
So, I quickly said: No, we’re not going to just get another one.
We grabbed the nose and decided that we would try to sew her nose back together. But, my daughter would have to be a part of the process and her beanie boo may never look quite the same.
Next time, she decided, she would put her animals up high before leaving the house so our dog can’t reach them.
After that exchange it truly made me think about how to raise grateful kids and the DONTS when raising appreciative kids.
1 . Don’t Forget the Power of Role Modeling.
Give to others because you want to. Stop buying things to replace things around the house and start fixing them first. Be grateful and appreciative for the things that you have and watch your kids do the same!
2. Don’t Skip Window Shopping.
This one might surprise you, but I remember window shopping all the time as a kid (and now I do it with my kids). The best part about it is that I learned from an early age that going into a store doesn’t mean that I’m coming out with something I want. And my kids know it too. I often say, “yes, we can go into that toy store, but we’re not buying anything today. If that’s too hard for you, we’ll leave and go home instead.” My kids always beg to stay and they leave everything on the shelf. It’s one of those small ways that we are teaching delayed gratification and (hopefully) teaching them that you can’t have everything that you want right away…which leads me to #3.
3. Don’t Underestimate Lists.
If you’re kids want everything that they see in the store, make a list of their favorite things. This is the perfect way to build a birthday or christmas list. But, you can also encourage kids to save their own money by writing down the price. We also snap a quick picture of what they want on my phone which help prevents meltdowns!
4. Don’t Forget Your Community.
An easy way to show kids gratefulness is to give back to your community. My daughter recently gave one dollar to our church after getting four dollars from the Easter bunny. It melted my heart.
You don’t have to make a huge donation to make a huge impact.
In fact, I once gave $5 to a local charity that works with neighboring grocery stores. It’s so easy to give. Just a push a button when you’re checking out and you’ve donated. But when I told the cashier that I’d donate $5 dollars, she thanked me so much for being so generous. She went on to say that no one ever donates. And, it made me so sad to hear that! I have to be honest, normally I don’t donate either. But, I realized this is such a simple way to give back which takes little to no effort!
That’s why I’m thrilled to share that Chuckie Cheese has a donation going on during the month of April.
All you do is donate at the register ~ how easy is that?
The proceeds go to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Once you donate, you also get to pin your name up on the store’s wall (kids will LOVE getting to do this part!). Chuckie Cheese is an affordable, kid-friendly (and mom approved) way to get out of the house, have some fun, and give back to your community.
Be sure to check out how you can donate you all ~ it’s so simple!
Note: Check out the giveaway at the end of the post to win an awesome package to Chuckie Cheese!
5. Don’t Replace Everything Quickly.
Just like the story of my daughter’s stuffed animal, it’s important that our kids figure out what to do when something of theirs breaks or gets lost. The answer can’t always be: we’ll just buy a new one. Because repairing something or looking for a beloved lost toy teaches our kids the value of being grateful for what they have.
6. Don’t Forget Please and Thank You.
Just like #1, saying please and thank you and teaching your kids to do the same is a simple way to teach gratefulness. It may take kids a while to start saying it too (especially if they haven’t said it in the past), but role modeling by saying please and thank you so our kids is an easy way to start teaching them.
7. Don’t Forget to Say it Out Loud.
My daughter’s elementary school has a beautiful tradition of saying “appreciations” everyday. The kids go around in a circle and say what they’ve appreciated from others that day (but they have the right to pass if they don’t want to say anything). My daughter tells me that kids say appreciations like I appreciated when so-and-so played with me at recess or I appreciated when that we got to do math today (<— really, that’s my daughter’s example of what she’s said). I love this tradition because it gets kids thinking about the little things that they are grateful for each day and teaches them to say it out loud to the person. This could easily translate to saying appreciations around the dinner table each night!
8. Don’t Forget to be Patient.
If you’re trying some of these ideas out, remember that it might take time for kids to get used to this. It’s okay if you don’t see the effects of gratefulness in their lives right away, but remember that that this is a powerful foundation for raising kids who will be grateful not just as children, but as adults too.
And, DON’T forget to enter this giveaway!
It will be an easy way to give back while you’re there this month.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chuck E. Cheese’s. The opinions and text are all mine.
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