Who Are You Thankful For?

 

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, so it’s time to finalize our lists of the things and people that we are thankful for this year. Before you can give out your thanks, it’s a good idea to create a physical or mental list of who specifically you are thankful for this season. That way, you can stay organized by knowing exactly who you need to show gratitude to, and that is our focus for the week.

 

For our kids, figuring out exactly who to be thankful for can be quite the task, especially because there are undoubtedly many more people that your kids might be thankful for than they are currently aware of. Children might need the help of an adult to make an organized list of who they are grateful for, so we want to give you, the parents, some ideas to help you guide your children in time for Thanksgiving. So, without further adieu, let’s get right into three key groups of people for your children to keep in mind this November. 

 

Family

There’s a reason Family is first on this list, and that’s because it is the root of what Thanksgiving has come to mean. For many, Thanksgiving is one of those Holidays where the whole family gets together under the same roof to share some quality time together. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more all meet to celebrate. Why? Because family is one of the most prominent things that comes to mind when you start to think about the people you are grateful for.

 

For our kids, family is a great starting point when brainstorming a list of gratitudes. Our family members should be thanked because they help make us who we are today. Everyone’s family is unique, so have your children think about all the people that yours might include. Start with the eldest members, including grandparents or even great grandparents, if applicable. When it comes to family, just make sure everyone is included! No list is too big, and the more people the merrier.

 

Friends

Another great place to start for kids is their friends. For children, friends are the people that make life fun. Friends are important to thank because without them, life would not be nearly as exciting or fun. Friends also help our children learn to socialize, and shape their personalities as well. Kids love nothing more than just hanging out with their friends, so remind them that they should be grateful for all the time they get to spend together!

 

Friends are a great addition to your kids’ list of gratitudes, because they truly do so much for our children. That’s because they provide an invisible necessity for children: a sense of belonging. Outside of home, our kids spend a majority of their time in school, where they are most likely to meet their friends. They spend 7-8 hours a day in a large building with hundreds, or even thousands of other kids. Having friends there allows them to feel more comfortable, and make them feel as though they belong there. School is just as much a place for socialization and friendship building as it is for learning and educational development. Friends are one of the most important aspects of growing up.

 

Have your kids include all their friends, even if they’re just classmates, because they should be thankful for anyone who gives them a place to feel safe and secure.

 

Professionals

Finally, we have the professionals to thank. You may want to remind your children that by professionals, we don’t mean athletes. Instead, professionals refers to anyone who has dedicated their life and living to help us out. In other words, assisting us in some way, shape, or form is their profession. At the top of this list are teachers. We’ve discussed before how teachers spend countless hours both in and out of the classroom to make sure our children are learning properly. Teachers care for our children during school, and also help give parents the peace of mind that their child(ren) are in good hands while they work. The school environment also contains many other professionals, including the Principal, Vice Principals, Counselors, and other school staff, who all should be thanked for their hard work.

 

Outside of school, there are many other types of professionals who help us out. Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Mailmen, Waste Collectors, and even Crossing Guards are all great people to add to the list of thanks. Have your kids think of all the people whose job it is to help them out in any way. Without all these important people, we would have to do all of the work they provide for us by ourselves!

 

In Our Classes…

This week in classes, we will get the brainstorming process going by asking them to think about the people they are most grateful for. We will emphasize the importance of thanking our friends and family, and guide them towards all the other people who may help them out. We will also have them practice extending their gratitude, by encouraging them to thank their partners, classmates, and instructors during class. Keeping a list of all the people we are grateful for is a great tool for our kids to utilize this November. Keep an ear out for our Character Talks this week, in which we explain and demonstrate how to figure out who we should be thankful for.

 

In Conclusion

In summary, a good list of gratitude should include family, friends, and professionals, who all play a supporting role in our lives. There are many people that our children might not realize who should be thanked for their work, so starting with these three categories is a great idea. Remember: there’s no limit to how big that list can be, so encourage your kids to think of all the people who help them out!

Who else can we be thankful for this season?