A Thankful Family

To be a thankful family, our children need, most of all, Godly examples of a thankful heart from us, their parents. We do pretty well, but we can always improve, right? Here are 3 things we can do to be that example and have a thankful family.

Practical Steps You Can Take Today to Have a Thankful Family | Your Home For God

Practical Steps You Can Take Today to Have a Thankful Family!

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In this Series on “How to Have a Thankful Family,” I mentioned a simple assignment that would help you develop a thankful heart. Did you try it? I did and found it very effective. I found my heart was much more thankful! Read the post here, to find out what that practice is that will have an immediate impact on thankfulness in your family! 

Today, I want to share with you 3 things you can do to have a more thankful family. These are practical things that you can start to do today that will encourage your own heart and your family’s to be thankful!

A Thankful Thoughts Journal | Your Home For God

A Thankful Thoughts Journal | Your Home For God

Thankfulness doesn’t just happen. You have to promote and encourage it. “A Thankful Thoughts Journal” is a tool to use in your family! Print one for your tween and teen to use. Use it as a couple for special bonding time! Have your preschooler dictate their thanks and color a picture–bind it together as a keepsake you’ll keep forever! Use it in your morning time or at mealtime as a family! 31 days of journal prompts, inspirational and motivational quotes and Bible verses beautiful enough to print out and frame. Get “A Thankful Thoughts Journal” today!

Point Out Thankfulness in People and Families

When you see and recognize a thankful family–acts done or words said around you during your day that are thankful–appreciate that fact out loud! Mention it to your children. “That was a really thankful little girl!” Then, tell the specific thing she did or said that made you say that. This will help your children define and know how to practice and apply thankfulness in their own lives. The only way this will work is if your attitude and demeanor is truly just appreciative of the thankfulness you see. Be consciously aware and avoid making your children feel compared or belittled. One helpful thing to do is to be quick to point out thankfulness in your own children–often! 

Be Companions of Thankful People and Avoid Complainers

We can expose our children to examples of thankfulness in two ways. One is by surrounding ourselves with truly thankful people in real life:  it may be children or families at church or in our Homeschool community. Look for thankful people in your circle of friends and acquaintances and hang around with them.  Spend time with people who challenge and encourage you to greater Godliness and the character you seek to build.

Your Home For God, 3-simple-things-to-do-to-have-a-more-thankful-family

3 Simple Things To Do To Have A More Thankful Family

The other way we can expose our children to examples of thankfulness is to read about thankful characters in great books—living books–we read as a family. One example of this kind of book that pops immediately to mind, is, “The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew” by Margaret Sidney (there is a series of Five Little Peppers books, actually, and if you haven’t read them, you need to–they are wonderful)! This family has so little, yet gratitude and selflessness are written in every line of their story.

Quote from “Five Little Peppers and How They Grew,” by Margaret Sidney:

“…since the father died, when Phronsie was a baby, Mrs. Pepper had had hard work to scrape together money enough to put bread into her children’s mouths, and to pay the rent of the little brown house. But she had met life too bravely to be beaten down now. So with a stout heart and a cheery face, she had worked away day after day at making coats, and tailoring and mending of all descriptions; and she had seen with pride that couldn’t be concealed, her noisy, happy brood growing up around her, and filling her heart with comfort, and making the little brown house fairly ring with jollity and fun.”

Read Biographies Of Godly Thankful People

Read living history books, specifically biographies, during your school day. This embeds the stories of real heroes and heroines from the past into the hearts of your children, and counts for school, too. Win/win! 

3 ways to encourage our own hearts and our family’s to be thankful | Your Home For God

3 Ways to Encourage Our Own Hearts and Our Family’s to be Thankful

“Sometimes I just look up, smile and say, ‘I know that was you God!’ Thanks!”—Anonymous

Our family read missionary stories in the evenings, when Dad could join us. I believe these true stories of trials, faith, and gratitude, not only bred thankful hearts, but encouraged our faith, and challenged us to greater service and love for God.

Examples of Missionary Stories Our Family Has Read

These are titles that come immediately to mind because they were so memorable.

Read School Books That Encourage Thankful Hearts

During the school day, we read so many books together that fit this description of living history books that taught Godly character qualities like thankfulness that I couldn’t begin to list them all! But, I listed many examples in the post, “The Best Character-Building Books for Kids”!

Some of my favorites were from these Series:

Books that encourage thankfulness are life-changing books.

We listened to Stories of Great Christians and read classics, such as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” by Harriet Beecher Stowe (when your children are old enough, this should be required reading for every child and family).

Reading excellent books which include examples of Godly, thankful people has the added benefit of increasing your children’s vocabulary, improving their writing, and enlarging their spirits.

Wendy Gunn

Choose Thankful, Godly Examples as Main Characters

Reading excellent literature, including examples of Godly and thankful people, has the added benefit that it will increase your children’s vocabulary, improve their writing, and enlarge their spirits.

Surrounding your children with Godly examples of a thankful heart in you, their parents, others, and the living books you read to them, will greatly encourage them to have thankful hearts themselves. Doing these 3 things will move you well along the path of having a thankful family.

Have a Great Week Making Your Home For God!

P.S.  Struggling with parenting issues? Here’s  my Video Course, “Raising Godly Kids”!

Yourhomeforgod.com

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