I've got gratitude down pat. Not so sure about my kidlets though!
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| Time to fill in the family... |
So this year we are doing a family Gratitude Jar Project. (heads up to my DH!!)
Do my children even know how blessed we are? We don't have a lot of money at the moment but I don't want them growing up with resentment for the things they didn't get, nor do I want their childhood memories infused with constantly hearing "we can't afford it" or "we don't have enough money for that".
We're not rich... but we're not poor either. We have enough to pay the bills, buy food and necessities with a little left over for the occasional treat! Yet, it would be easy for them to hear "we don't have enough money" as meaning "we're poor".
It's also easy to feel overwhelmed with our everyday lives and for our kids to see all of our busy-ness. Too often the kids hear how we are running late, or we have to go here or do that. What they need more of is to hear all the things we can be thankful for. I want them to have some perspective and to learn just how good they've got it!
So, I want them to REALLY grasp the concept, and a great way to do so is with a gratitude jar. This is a very simple project. It is a place to write down and keep all the things you are thankful for. Whenever you are grateful for something, someone, an activity, a kind act, or an aspect of your everyday life, you write it down on a slip of paper and stick it in the jar. Over time you accumulate a jar full of blessings, a visual reminder of all the abundance in your life as you watch the jar fill with reasons to be grateful.
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| All set up on the buffet ready to go - you can't miss it here! |
You can give thanks daily, or just when you think of something to be grateful for. It is just as important to add to the jar on days you or the kids are struggling, as this is where the lesson lies. This is when you want them to see that even though they might be having a bad day, it really isn't the end of the world when they still have things to be grateful for.
I hope that showing gratitude will give them a better perspective of our lives - financially, emotionally, spiritually...
So what do you do with all of those thankful thoughts once the jar is full?
- Read them as a family at the end of the year, once a month or at a time decided by the family
- Read a few whenever you are having a tough day or need a pick me up
- Pick your favourites and frame them, make a poster for the kid's bedroom, or create a family scrapbook that you add to every year.
The reading them together part helps you relive those cherished moments, or you may even learn something new about your children or partner! Pass the jar around and take turns reading. I know when I read back over my gratitude journal, I appreciate those moments even more, so I imagine it would be the same for the jar.
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| Time to fill that jar... |
Hopefully this project will help them find the balance between wanting new things, getting new things and appreciating what they already have; and to see the difference between having stuff that you need to live and all the other stuff... I am determined to raise my children to see materialism as undesirable... If they grow up to have lots of money and wish to fund our retirement, that's fine as long as they maintain a good perspective of their needs and wants!
This project is also a great opportunity for me to lead by example; and maybe start a new tradition for my little family.
Here are some other ideas for a Gratitude Jar Project:
- Thanksgiving Gratitude Jar
If you celebrate this holiday, you could set this up for the month of November up to Thanksgiving. Then read out on the day as part of your celebrations.
- Christmas Gratitude Jar
Same as thanksgiving, but for the month of December and the results are shared as a Christmas present.
- 365 Days of Gratitude
Start the jar on a given day, i.e. New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, your birthday, wedding anniversary etc, and keep adding reasons everyday for the next year.
- Classroom Gratitude Jar
Create a jar for the classroom with students writing down what they are thankful for whenever something reminds them to be grateful. The reasons can be shared and the paper slips turned into a poster or scrapbook for the classroom - what a great teacher present at the end of the year!
- Gift a Gratitude Jar
A Gratitude Jar can also be given as a gift to anyone who may want to focus more on being grateful and giving thanks!
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| Credit: Blissful Living Now (Blog) |
If you decide to do your own Gratitude Jar this year, please keep me posted on how you go and feel free to share your jars with me in the comments, or on the Facebook page!
Gratefully Yours forever,
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