ABSOLUTELY! I have a passion!
How did it start? Well I have always wanted to do something like this, but one day a conversation made me take the leap.
I was talking to a young 15 year old girl. She was so very excited about her girlfriend's video. She couldn't wait to show me.
I was devastated.
This girl was given a car for her 16 birthday. I watched at least 4 or 5 minutes of excitement. The young girl jumped up and down; sent some text messages; grabbed the keys; made a phone call; got into the car (she could not drive it because she did not have her license yet); jumped out of the car; walked around the car; made another call..... have you guessed yet? NEVER SAID THANK YOU OR SHOWED ANY TYPE OF GRATITUDE.. At the end of the video, I prayed (for her) that I just missed it but I really don't think I did....
We have wonderful teachers, who work so hard with our children on their development. They are wonderful examples to our children. But they can only do so much.
Who can help them learn what teachers do not have time to teach in school? You and I can. Our kids learn more from us than we realize. Lets work on our every day efforts to focus on gratitude and appreciation. Lets do a few little things, over a period of time, to drive a life of gratetful, happy children turned adult!
Why is that important? Lets just start with 3 reasons for now..
1) We want the best for our children. We want their wishes to come true. Of all of their wishes that do come true, how good is any of it, if they are not happy? If they are not grateful but rather finding something negative with everything, how happy can they really become?
2) Do you know extremely intellegent people who can't hold onto a job? Ever wonder why people just don't want them in their company? If they played back their life, could someone have helped influence them differently? ( How many of us wish we did things differently raising our children? I often say we all screw our children up, it is just a matter of degree SMILE SMILE)
3) Do you think YOUR life will be easier with grateful, rather than ungrateful children?
If so, lets work together to make a difference. Lets learn and grow every day, and help our children do the same.
With gratitude,
www.AppreciationMarketingMadeEasy.com
I’d like to share a practice that I have always thought valuable with children.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a ‘get one, give one’ practice. When a child receives a gift, a toy, clothing etc., they in turn gift or donate one they already have to a needy child.
This serves the purpose of instilling the joy of giving, and seeing the emotion of true gratitude. It also helps to create an outward thinking mentality (and minimize selfish behaviors). In the long run these traditional behaviors will go far to instill a helping and compassionate adult.
So, in addition to creating an alternate frame of reference for the receipt of gifts, it will help keep your home cleared of excess! Win-win!
I’d love to hear from any that would like to elaborate, suggest, or share how their families are doing something similar.
Patti Shaw
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