a grateful rant

Thank you, Jennifer, for a wonderful reminder on the importance of gratitude in our daily lives! I am very grateful :) you chose to write on such an imperative subject...how do we teach our children to be thankful? My thoughts are exemplifying it through actions and words; we are our children's first and most important teachers, and we as parents have the ability to encourage gratitude in our "littles".

Maybe the peanut gallery could leave a comment today with something you're grateful for? What do you think, readers? What calls you to be thankful each day?

I briefly read an article today in the Star Tribune. It, poorly summarized, was at what age and how do you begin to teach your children to be grateful?  It was a nicely written article. The author reflected on how they had a gratitude board that they filled out every night. Her children were around the age of 5-10. I know poor research on my half… I really skimmed the article.

This got me to think. At a sweet 7 months old how do I begin to teach my “little” about being thankful, using please and thank you, and being grateful? I mean we work day to day trying to conquer self feeding, crawling, patty cake etc. Why would I think for a split second that at 7 months old I should be teaching my little about being grateful? (Side note: I nickname my daughter little among many sweet nicknames… little came about because apparently I was so “little” when I was pregnant with her… I beg to differ)

I know why I had this profound urge to teach the lesson. I need to start living it. I think it is safe to say that day to day we all mill from one task and routine to the other. I wake up, shower, get ready, bring little to grandma’s, go to work, work, pick up little, dinner, play, bed. {Rinse} and repeat Monday through Friday. Add in a few life events that occur throughout the year (ours this year is preparing for our wedding in May). What we forget to throw in there for the most part on a daily basis is taking the time to be thankful for simply simple things.

I need to pick up little today and just let my mother know how thankful I am that she spends her days with her granddaughter. My little has received the most precious time with her grandmother, I have saved a few bucks on daycare and everyone wins. I think that situation is very rare these days.

I need to appreciate my future mother-in-law’s dynamic personality. She has the best intentions, I need to learn to looks past the surface and understand her intentions.

I need to be grateful and display my gratefulness towards my future husband more. There is never a stone left unturned at our house or the house of my future in-laws or the homes of my future brother and sister in laws. He is Mr. Handyman for all. And just when I get frustrated because I feel like his time at home is taken away, I need to be grateful he has the physical ability to help others, because I know it means he cares for his daughter and me ten times over.

In the large picture I need to be thankful that at the end of a 10 hour work day I do get moments with my child. I do get the pleasure to make a meal, I have food on my table, and I have a house for that table. I have the ability to work hard to provide my little a room of her own, a soft carpeted living room to learn to crawl around in, and a place to let her favorite playmate, the dog, live.

Through the hustle and the bustle of being mothers, companions, daughters, aunts, care givers, grandmothers, sisters, etc. as women I think that if we can live with grace every day we are teaching, regardless of the age, our children to do the same. To me that is the best lesson I can teach my child. For if one can live with grace in their lives for the most part, can one truly live the best life for themselves and those around them.

{and I say for the most part, because some days when I have gotten my hopes up for that delicious Caribou mocha and the line is far too long, I get a tad cranky. But I need to live in grace and remember at that moment I am beyond blessed to have the luxury to get that mocha if the time allows… and I have time. Someday I know it will run out… and I can only treasure every second until then.}

So tonight, when I am rocking my sweet little to sleep (yes I am VERY guilty of that) I will whisper to her what I always do “I love you , god bless, and sweet dreams babe”, and I am going to add “I am so grateful to be your mother”.

{Katie's note}: Don't be guilty to rock your little one to sleep :) I got an earful on Facebook the other day when I admonished myself for doing so. They're only tiny and willing to be snuggled for so long!