Gratitude Attitude

Compared to most kids in the world, ours are very blessed. They have food, shelter, clothing-the basics of life that a lot of kids do not have. So how do we foster an attitude of gratitude amidst all of this blessing? Below is a post written by J.R. Briggs that has some great ideas.

[ 13 ] ways to raise grateful kids

For the past few weeks I’ve been taking an informal survey among parents who have well-adjusted kids (of all ages) who possess an attitude of gratitude. I’ve asked the question, “What are purposeful, practical ways you’ve tried to train your kids to be grateful?”
Here are several common themes – and a few additions of my own.

1. Travel: expose your kids to different cultures. This will provide perspective that “our way” isn’t the only way to live. Kids will also inherently understand that life isn’t as bad as they might have originally thought. 
2. Have your kids spend time hanging around with grateful and wise adults. Invite wise and trusted grownups over for dinner or a BBQ on Saturday afternoon. Role models are significant; surrounding your kids with grateful role models makes sense.
3. Teach gratitude rigorously. Point thankful spirits out in other people. Kneel down and look your kids in the eyes and tell them they did a good job thanking someone else. When they fail to say ‘please’ or ‘thank you,’ lovingly correct and guide them to respond with appropriate words right then and there. Don’t miss the teachable moment.
4. Confront entitlement immediately. Snuff out any spirit of whining or an attitude of “I deserve this” in your kids. Be kind, but firm. Simply do not tolerate it.
5. Make events and outings special, but not assumed. When kids assume special events or trips will always be there, entitlement begins to creep in.
6. Model it. It may seem obvious, but it can be easy for mom and dad to forget that modeling is the most significant way to guide our children. Eliminate sarcasm or complaining in your conversation. Remember: more is caught than taught. 
7. Read Scripture together. The Bible has numerous verses about gratitude. Consider reading from the Psalms regularly or before dinner.
8. Minimize (or eliminate) time with television, advertisements and commercials. The goal of marketing and advertising is to make you discontent with what you currently have. Studies reveal that, regardless of income level, there is a direct correlation between the amount of hours people watch television with the amount of money they spend each month.
9. Give and serve as a family. Seek out ways to serve as a family (and not just around the holidays). Whether its for a few hours at the local soup kitchen or homeless shelter on a Saturday morning or a week-long mission trip, it builds memories, allows for healthy modeling and provides perspective that breeds thankfulness.
10. Find the right balance between work and play. Communicate to your entire family that there will be times where we will play hard and there will be times where we will work hard. Expect both. Create age-appropriate chores – and schedule fun times to make memories together.
11. Refrain from buying everything your kids want. Pushing the cart through the toy section at Target can be dangerous, but don’t give in. At appropriate times, bless your children, but don’t give in to every request for something. The worst thing we can do as parents is to give our kids everything they think they want – when they want it.
12. Refuse the comparison trap. Refuse to allow your kids to compare themselves with other kids, especially regarding possessions and ‘their stuff.’ The root of discontentment is comparison.
13. Watch the language. Have a keen ear for phrases like “I need that doll,” “I want that toy,” “She has ____ and I don’t…” or any other form of whining. If you hear it in the grocery aisle or from the backseat of the van, address it immediately. This includes non-verbals like pouting or smirking.

What about you? What else would you add to the list? 

What is your child listening to?

These days you can't walk by a group of kids without seeing at least one of them with earphones listening to music on their ipod or iphone. I fully realize that saying such a thing makes me sound like an 80 year old grandmother. Admitting it is half the battle, right? But that observation has only led me to wonder how parents keep track of what their kids are listening to.

Quite frequently I hear kids talking with their friends about different songs they like. And many times I have never heard of the song or group they are talking about. Now my children are not at the age yet where I have to worry about what they're listening to, but that time is fast approaching! And since I like to stay on top of things (understatement of the year), I did a quick look into some ways you can stay informed about what YOUR child is listening to.

1. Google it

Look at the playlists your child is listening to and google the song and the artists. For the most accurate portrayal of a band, find their website. The sites usually contain biographical info about the band members, as well as song backgrounds and lyric links.

2. Try Wikipedia
Although wikipedia is not always the most accurate website around, they will give you a brief overview of a band and what kinds of messages they are likely to be portraying.

3. Ask your Kids
Having a conversation with your kids about what they are listening to can only be beneficial. Find out why they like certain bands and get some honest dialogue going. You might be surprised at what you find out.

If anyone out there has any other tips to share, please do so. Happy investigating!

One True Love

Valentine's Day-a day filled with quite a lot of expectations I would say. Maybe you're a man who feels pressure to try to think of creative ways to tell your wife or special someone that you love her. Maybe you're a woman who compares yourself to those around you and would love to be surprised by your husband or loved one. Or maybe you don't care either way, because you celebrate your loved one EVERY day!

Whatever role you identify with, here's a twist on the holiday for you. Go ahead and celebrate-but celebrate in a way that focuses on the relationships God has put in your life to enrich it and ultimately to teach you more about His character. Because that's why we have each other, isn't it? Our relationships, particularly that of a loving spouse, put us a little closer to understanding this all encompassing love God has for us. And that's about as close to understanding it as we're going to get, folks.

And one more thing. Share that news with your kids, whether they are young or old! Because the one true love of our life is our Savior. And until they understand that, their expectations for their relationships (and this holiday!) will fall short.

So celebrate the day by showing thanks for the relationships you have. And Happy Valentine's Day!

Honor and Love

Here's your chance to get a jump start on what your kids will be learning this month in kidSPACE! Don't skip over this-actually read it. There's some powerful stuff here and you just might get something out of it.

Preschool:

It’s the month of L-O-V-E. Love! So, let’s celebrate it by showing our love to the one who loves us more than anyone!

This month, we will teach our preschoolers to: “Love . . . God with all your heart,” (Matthew 22:37, NIrV). And how do we love God with our all our hearts? Why, we look to Jesus to teach us. Through the month of February, Jesus will teach us how to love God. We can love God by doing what He wants us to do as He sat in the temple as a young boy of 12. We can love God by loving others, and we can love God by talking to Him through prayer.

By sharing what Jesus taught us while He was here on earth, we pray that our preschoolers will begin to understand how to love their heavenly Father who loves them so very much.

Elementary:

Stop and think about someone you admire.

Are you thinking of someone? Whether that person is a teacher, coach, friend, or family member, he or she is valuable to you. You recognize that this person is important because what they do impacts your life. But did you know that everyone is valuable? That's right. Your principal, your mailman, your babysitter, and your bus driver—they are all valuable.

Every person has value, not because of what they do, but because each and every person has been put together by God. When God created people, He made them in His image. That means every person alive today has been put together in the likeness of God. So every person has value. And it’s our job to help everyone feel like they are valuable.

Jesus showed other people how valuable they really were by spending time with them. He ate dinner with people who usually ate alone. He served people who were used to doing the serving. He paid attention to people who normally didn't get a lot of attention. If Jesus thought it was important to honor everyone, then we should follow His example. This month look for ways to show others how valuable they really are.