Growth of Gratitude: 3 Tips for all Parents

How do you encourage a grateful heart in your children?

I believe our children are naturally born not understanding how to show gratitude to others...we are selfish beings, we humans, and especially when we are little, we are only worried about our own needs.  We are prone to feeling entitled to have what we want without thinking about others.

There are easy opportunities to build in gratitude with our littles however...here are 3 ideas:

1. Model it ~ I know, nothing news-breaking here, but it is simply this: if your children never see you showing gratitude to others, if all they hear you do is complain and whine about how others have it better (more money, bigger home, more obedient kids, etc) how will they ever have any idea what it means to be grateful?  So, make a point to show gratitude, especially in front of your kiddos...a simple "thank you" to the checkout clerk...a mention of how lucky or blessed you are to have a roof over your head...start with small stuff and work up to the things you have a harder time being grateful for in your own life.
2. Broaden your child's worldview ~ volunteer in a food shelf, meet up with someone that grew up in another culture, sponsor a child through World Vision or Compassion International.  Basically, expand your child's world, so they realize that others live a very different experience, not necessarily better or worse, but different.
3. Involve them ~ When we give our children everything they want, when they have no "stake" in the things they own, activities they are involved in, or gifts they give to others, and it is hard for them to feel anything but entitlement for those things.  However, when we do the extra work (and YES, it does take extra work) of involving them in the process of these things, they will naturally learn to care more and be more grateful for the things they have...they want a new toy/clothes/activity?  Have them earn money for it, do chores to earn it, or otherwise have some work/effort connected to it.

Building a grateful heart is no easy process, but you can do it!  If this is something you struggle with as a parent, start small...pick one thing:

• write down one thing everyday you are grateful for
• send one text a day to someone, letting them know you are thankful for them
• figure what you complain about most and create a "trigger" for yourself (eg. when you feel like complaining because your home is too small, remind yourself that not all are so lucky to have a roof over their heads)
• do "without" something for awhile...fancy coffee, eating out, sugar.  This reminds us how lucky we are to normally be able to have these things.
• at supper/breakfast/in the car have family members share something they are thankful for

What do you think is missing from this list?  

What is time you saw your kiddos show a glimmer of hope with learning what gratitude is?

10 Snow Day Activities For When You are Stuck Inside (Again!)

Play "Hide the SnowBalls"

Grab those cotton balls from your nail polish stash and hide them all around a room (or the whole house!).  then send your kids on a "snowball hunt."

Print Off Color Sheets

Our favorite site is coloring-book.info  - tons of awesome coloring sheets with all their favorite characters!

Build With Marshmallows

Get out the marshmallows, big & little, and some toothpicks and let the kids build...challenge them to build the tallest, biggest, structure they can.

Take a Colorful Bath

My kids love this simple idea.  Add a few drops of food coloring to a bath.  Let them play.  It is that easy and will help burn some time off the clock.  Supervise as is appropriate for their age.

Break Out the Bubbles

Use bubbles in your kitchen and then clean up the floor together when you are done!

A great, homemade bubble recipe is: 3 c water  1 c dishwashing liquid (Joy works best!) and 1/2 c corn syrup

Challenge...Accepted!

How many times can you run up and down the hallway in a minute?  Go jump in the living room 20 times, then run back in give me a high five.  Can you do a wall-sit longer than mom?  You get the idea...help them burn off some energy and BOTH of your days will be happier!

Raid the Recycling Bin

See what you can make out of cardboard, clean containers (you know, the ones without the sharp edges), and other "found" objects.

Make Your Own "Parachute"

Drag out a tablecloth or sheet and make your own parachute.  Give your stuffed animals a ride, toss cotton balls on it, or be really brave and use marshmallows!

Make Playdough

Bay far my favorite playdough recipe is this one...

2 c. water – heated to boiling in microwave

4 t. cream of tartar*    1 c. salt

4 T. oil (baby, vegetable, or canola)

2-3 c. flour

Mix together in metal dish with metal spoon until well blended.  Turn onto floured surface to finish mixing.  Store in an airtight container.  Will last for months.

Optional add ins:

Swap out ½ flour, swap in cocoa powder – will smell and look like chocolate.  Add in spices like cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice.  Add food coloring.  Mix will a packet of Kool Aid, grape works especially well.  Add in extract like vanilla, peppermint, orange, etc.

(*Note: If you do not have cream of tartar, you can try lemon juice, use 8t. of this)

Get out golf tees, birthday candles, kitchen gadgets, small cars, muffin pans, and play with the play dough!

Baking Soda & Vinegar

Check out my previous post with the fun we had with this...It just never gets old!!!

http://parentinginlittlefalls.blogspot.com/2013/04/baking-soda-vinegar-fun.html

Mix these activities in with a little cleaning and a little Netflix and your day will be a great one!

Here are a few other links with some more great ideas!

http://herviewfromhome.com/36-snow-day-activities-and-ideas-for-your-kids/

http://www.frugalupstate.com/general-frugality/40-things-to-do-on-a-school-snow-day/

What is your favorite sanity saver on a day when you are stuck indoors?

That Twinkle

Incredible shot of my child's personality by Nadine ~ Lifeprints by Nadine

Do you have a child who has "that twinkle?"

You know if you do.

They feel things so strongly, they approach life differently, they are a challenge & a blessing to raise (aka. you both want to tear out your hair and then the next moment they might do or say something that melts your heart).

So, how do you handle a child with a twinkle - here are three things that have helped us...

 #1 ~ Make sure your child has LOTS of opportunity for physical activity.  Invest time & money (as you are able) in making sure they have an outlet for that twinkle.

#2 ~ Share control when you can with your child.  When you are dealing with a child who is always thinking of new ways to do things, or new ways to climb things, or new ways to just approach life in general - figure out how to make of choice of things when you can.  "Would you like to wear your jeans or your tan pants to church?" (the windpants aren't an option)  "Would you like to climb up to the third branch or the fourth branch on that tree?" (the top isn't an option)

#3 ~ Acknowledge your child's feelings - kids with a twinkle tend to feel things strongly.  Don't let them push your buttons when possible (yes, I know this is totally easier said then done...)  It helps me to think of my twinkle child and I like an old fashioned balance - when he is freaking, then I need to suck it up and hold it together to be able to help him calm back down.  Let's face it, it just doesn't end well when we both freak out...

Twinkle kids, when given good direction early on, are kiddos who change the world...they aren't afraid to try new things (maybe a cure for cancer?), they don't care as much what other kids think (pure pressure affects them differently), and they tend to see good & bad as fairly black & white, so they are bothered by things that aren't fair (working to help the homeless or food shelf?) and are capable of being kids and adults with high level of integrity.  They can come up with million ways to challenge our parenting, but also make us smile...

I love most of this post by Dr. Laura Markham for more info too ~
http://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/positive-discipline/Parenting-Strong-Willed-Child

Do you have a "Twinkle" kid?  What tips / advice do you have for others who are raising one?

What amazing things has your "Twinkle" kid done or said?

Baking Soda & Vinegar Fun!

Quick, fun, and cheap activity for your kiddos!  Probably best for ages 2 1/2 and up, but nothing involved that can't be ingested ;)

First we got the baking soda patted down onto trays, both kids tried licking their hands after this and decided they agreed with mom that it didn't taste like sugar.

I prepped 3 cups of vinegar & liquid watercolor (but of course you can use good ol' food coloring too!) and droppers.  Then they took the droppers we talked about how you fill them up and then release them onto the baking soda - fun!

Both kids (ages 3 & 5) stuck with this until all of their baking soda was "painted" with the vinegar (about 20 minutes) - if you have never tried this combination, it bubbles and fizzes - so fun!  If the mess worries you, try this out on the deck or in the yard - good cheap fun!

Enjoy!

Do you have any cheap, easy "science" idea for kids?

Do you tolerate a mess well as a parent or do you like to save things like this for summer and outside?

6 Ways to Be a Better Parent

Children are like plants - they need water, fresh air, gentle pruning, and room to grow.

Parenting a child is such an amazing gift.  To be able to raise and mold a little being.  To guide and shape a small person.

What an amazing, incredible, EXHAUSTING opportunity.

So how do you keep it up?  How do you mold and shape and love this small person or small people without your own well running dry?  Well, here is the real deal people.  Your well WILL run dry from time to time, because the world isn't perfect.  However, I believe you can cut down on those empty moments by following a few guidelines for yourself.

By finding your times, maximizing those times when you can fill up your own tank.  And cultivating a thankful heart.  And building a support team.  And....well read on.

It is so easy to get caught up in this culture's way of letting us know we are not good enough, smart enough, thin enough.  But to that special little person you ARE enough.  You are the best parent for the little one(s) entrusted to you.  And now comes the big work for you - keeping yourself, your mind, your body, your "tank" healthy for them.

How can you do this?  There are lots of ways, but here are 6 I have settled upon for myself at the stage of life I am in:

1. Get as much sleep as you can.  This means different things in different stages of parenting, but to me this is huge.  I do everything better when I have more rest.  Get off facebook, put down the pinterest and let your mind & body rest.
2. Fuel your body and mind well.  Try to limit to junk that weighs down your mind and body.
3. Find time for refreshment.  I have long struggled with the guilt of sitting down for a quiet moment and have determined that to wake up early and get in both exercise and quiet time is the way to go for me.  I also value highly our bedtime routine and the chance to have a few quiet moments at the end of the day.  Create, write, photograph, pray, find something that fills your insides and make the time to do it.
4. Move your body.  Good things happen when you move your body - get a dvd from the library, challenge your child to run up and down the hallway with you, enter a race to get motivated.
5. Build your support team.  Different people from different walks of life will make up your support team.  You need someone who can listen when you have a bad day, someone who can physically help you with your child raising, someone you can share your wisdom with, someone you can let loose with.  Maybe you need someone to clean your house, walk your dog, mow your lawn.  Remember you need to be a friend to make a friend, but no friendship should be all one sided.
6. Finally, you need to figure out how to be thankful & grateful.  Our world begs us to be unhappy with what we have, what we do, and who we are.  Buck the system, find ways to be content with your world.  Find ways to show others you are thankful for their help.  Look at the intentions behind the actions of those around you, especially your children.

These are six things that make a difference in my day to day parenting.  Your list of six might be different.  The important thing is to realize that this time, these little ones, are a gift for this season.  A wonderful, sticky, loud gift.  Enjoy the journey.

What choices do you make to be a better parent?  What are your thankful for in your parenting journey?