Training Kids to be Thankful

Here is a good article on by Ann Dunagan on teaching our kids to be thankful:

Hey, that's not fair! You already got one-and-a-half more pieces than me!" Our 11-year-old gave her brother a mean-looking glare, as he proceeded to "stake his claim" by grabbing for the butter and syrup.


This morning, as I was working on yet another batch of French toast for breakfast, I realized our family was definitely needed more than food on their plates. My kids needed a fresh lesson in thankfulness and gratitude. Their petty bickering was really bothering me, especially in light of several stories I had read only a few hours earlier.

So, while the kids sat on their stools at our kitchen counter, waiting (not so patiently) for our next round of toast, I gave them a spontaneous lesson:

"You know, kids, you need to be thankful for what you have - and you've been given a lot! In the Bible, God tells us to ‘give thanks always for all things' (Ephesians 5:20)."

Just this morning, I had been reading a recent Voice of the Martyrs magazine, about how a minister, Richard Wurmbrand, had endured persecution while being imprisoned for his faith. He had spent over 14 years in Romanian prisons, including long periods in complete solitude - with no one to talk to, no Bible, no books, no scrap paper, and no pencils. Even during this horrible time, this man still found ways to be grateful. The article shared how Rev. Wurmbrand meditated on scripture he had memorized, and how he (along with other Christian prisoners) kept his mind active by praying fervently throughout the night for various needs from around the world. Yet the example that had most deeply touched my heart was reading about how this man of God learned to rejoice.

Read the full article here.