We’ve all heard how adopting an “attitude of gratitude” can improve your life, but how exactly do you go about doing that? Sometimes it’s easy to let life get us down and to get caught up in all the daily hustle that we forget to stop and give thanks for the little (and big) things.
Here are some simple ways that we incorporate gratitude in our homeschool.
1. Start the Day With an Offering
This can be an offertory prayer, or a simple statement of intention for the day. You can also offer a prayer for a goal that you would like to accomplish for the day. Don’t keep these to yourself; it’s easy to do as a family before you begin your homeschool day. We like to say our offertory prayer at breakfast. It really does pave the way for an awesome day.
2. When Something Goes Wrong Reframe It
I’m not saying to pretend that bad things don’t happen. They do happen and they will happen. That’s life. In my experience it’s the small things that have the biggest ability to make me forget to be grateful, not the big things in life. A forgotten appointment; a missed deadline; plans needing to be changed last-minute; a week that’s too busy; all these things throw me into a tailspin of ingratitude.
When I find myself complaining, that’s when I know it’s time to stop, pause and take stock of what’s good about the moment. Reframe it by finding something good to positive to focus on. Modeling behavior is a huge part of parenting and educating. I, for one, don’t want to model complaining behavior and bad coping skills for my children. I want my family to have an attitude of gratitude because that helps me, too.
Also: Smile more! Read about how smiling actually changes your brain.
3. Do Something Nice For Someone
When you feel yourself going down the path of ingratitude, do something nice for someone. Get out of you own way. Ask a friend if they need help, hand out blessing bags to the homeless, or volunteer at your church or food pantry. If you can’t get out and do something, send a “thinking of you” letter (a real letter), or make a phone call to someone who’d love to here from you. Make it special: don’t just send a quick text.
4. Keep a Journal
We love our inspirational quote journal because it allows us freedom to ponder the quotes and to create space for whatever we need to keep add to these thoughts. Personally, I use this as my gratitude journal. The quotes never get old, and are always a great reminder to me about how wonderful life is.
My teenagers keep gratitude sections in their bullet journals. Actually, my youngest has an entire journal devoted to recording things that she’s grateful for.
Also, don’t forget to smile. Read about how smiling changes your brain.
5. State What You’re Grateful For: Out Loud
I’m a big Brene’ Brown fan. If you haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend them. I love them all, and have listened to all of her books (I’m a huge audio book fan) more than once, but these are my favorites and ones that I recommend you start with.
After you’ve read (or listened to) one or more of the above books, be sure to get this one:
Brene’ has a practice in her household where she and her family go around the dinner table each night and say one thing they’re grateful for. Sounds a little hokey? Maybe. But she’s a well-respected sociologist who knows what positively and negatively affects people and human behavior, so if she’s doing this with her family, I’m doing it, too. And you know what? It does help. It brings my husband into the here-and-now of family life after a day of work, and it helps us all cultivate a small culture of gratitude among us. The benefits far outweigh the effort it takes.
If you have other ways of incorporating gratitude in your life and in the life of your family, we’d love to know about them so tell us below!
Go ahead and share this post with a friend. We want them to be happy, too!
Great suggestions. I really appreciate this article. Thanks❤️
I so very agree with this!!! It makes such a difference, and I love the part about reframing!
I love this post. These are great ideas and very helpful. It is true and I am also one that will forget what I am grateful for at times. Other times I try to see the good in the situation. Learn from it.
People underestimate the power of being thankful. We teach our kids to appreciate what they have and they ask for very little. They enjoy the small things and experiences over material things. That may change as they get older, but as long as they are thankful I’ll be happy.
I have a gratitude journal and it really helps! Thanks for all these tips.
It’s so important to remember what we are grateful for, especially when the things that seem bad are really small in the grand scheme of things, while others are not as fortunate as us.
I’ve heard so much about Brene Brown! Not to mention, this is a great list. I’m pretty partial to the gratitude journal.
Great advice! Being able to reframe what happens to you is so important!
Reframing things is so important. Sometimes even I forget when I’m emotional but it really helps.
With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, it’s the perfect time to focus on a new attitude. It’s amazing how much you really you really have when you stop to verbalize your gratitude.
Great post! Gratitude is really a family affair!
Love that this is something the whole family can be involved in! Great post!
There is always so much to be grateful for. Looking for the good instead of focusing on the bad. I love going back and looking at my gratitude journals from the past. Thanks for sharing!
We’re big fans of focusing on our blessings and being thankful. I just finished Brene Brown’s book on The Gifts of Imperfection. It was my introduction to her and I plan to read more. Great post – thank you for sharing.
I love the suggestion to do something nice for someone else. It always helps me reframe everything!
These are great ideas and showing gratitude is a plus for a positive attitude!
I love the idea of affirming each day what we are grateful for.
Gratitude is key! There is so much to be grateful for and it’s important to acknowledge all of it. I like the idea of saying it out loud.
I love the point about saying what you’re grateful for out loud! It makes a world of difference how you feel when you actually express it. Great post!
Gratitude is not always easy but always worth it. Thank you!
I think focusing on gratitude (such as with a gratitude journal) is so important. You see more when you’re looking for it.
Finding gratitude in everything you do is so important! Great post!
Great ideas. I love the idea for a gratitude journal.
I needed a post like this right now. I have been dwelling in the negative (and dang has there been a lot!), but these reminders are the kick in the pants I need. Thank you
This is do timely! I’ve been working on this with our kids. Each night we say one thing we are grateful for. I’ll implement these other tips too.
It’s really easy sometimes to only look at the negatives in life. Great reminder to be grateful.
I really like your tip on starting the day with an offering. That’s so useful and practical for me. I’ve noticed when I start by thanking God for what He’s done for me and given me, I automatically start my day with the right attitude, which in turn generally yields a day focused on the right things.
It’s so true, Lisa! If anyone doesn’t believe us they should try this experiment: Start your day with an offering for two weeks. Then try one day without it and notice the difference!
It’s so easy to get lost in the minutia of life, and the things that truly mean nothing in the long run. I’m a big believer in the reframing technique and helps to refocus attention big time and a gratitude journal is great too! Although mine is actually a piece of butcher paper on the kitchen wall I write things on daily, works great! I’m sure Martha Stewart would frown on the decor though. 🙂
I love the butcher paper idea, Angela!
Love Brené Brown too!! Her books have allowed me to shift my thinking even more. I am currently listening to Daring Greatly for the third time!! These are great tips for keeping a good mindset!
Thanks! I know what you mean. Brene’s books are addictive. I am listening to The Power of Vulnerability again today. 🙂