It all began several weeks back in November when we started to plan Christmas presents for our kids. I kept a running excel sheet as we thoughtfully picked out what they needed; we then purchased them, hid them, spend several nights wrapping them, and finally played Santa the night before to make sure the magic happen on D day.
On Christmas morning, My kids woke up to an incredible number of gifts under the tree. They were so excited but waited patiently to open their presents till everyone came down. We then started to unwrap gifts, leaving a trail of wrapping paper all over the room. We tidied up the aftermath and then moved on to preparing breakfast. Up until this point, my kids have not uttered a word of gratitude for the morning bounty of blessings. Santa brings one gift for each one in our home, and the rest of the presents are mostly from mom and dad, family, and friends. My kids were well aware of who gave them their gifts as they opened them up.
When we sat down for breakfast, I shared with the kids how disappointed I was that they had forgotten to thank mom and dad for the gifts they received that morning. I then took a moment to teach them gratitude. I told them that we do not get gifts because of our deeds, that parents are generous because we love them, and finally that Christmas was also about being thankful for the grace given to us through Jesus. Can we all take some time to teach our children about grace? We are all undeserving of the great comfort and blessing we have in our lives, and what a humbling lesson that can be for our little ones.
To be realistic, I know my kids were excited about Christmas morning and, in the hustle, forgot their manners. And they did eventually thank us.
Have you ever asked your kids to thank you for something you did for them? After I serve them a meal, sometimes I will ask them, “Who wants to say thank you, mama, for the food?“. All of them will chime in with big thank you’s. And here’s why I am glad I did that. It’s because, on days when I don’t expect it, I get sincere thank you’s from them at the table.
I want you to know that it is ok to ask for gratitude because it is part of parenting. We need to condition our children to feel grateful in the moment it counts. We teach them, not because we want to be appreciated (although there is nothing wrong with that) because we want them to be thankful for the grace given to them. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:7, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it,” and that is a fact.
