Raising a child who is grateful for what they have and who they have in their life is something most parents strive for. Children who are grateful are shown to be happier in life and notice more things around them to be appreciative of. I definitely try to show and teach my kids gratitude on a daily basis, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because we can all be together with friends and family with great food and kind words.
Showing gratitude near and far
I wanted to make sure that my kids did not lose sight of what they were thankful for. So, I made a printable Thankful Letter for my seven-year-old with lines to write what she is thankful for, and one with space for my four-year-old to draw what she is thankful for. Click on the image or link underneath each image to open a printable pdf.
>>> Thanksgiving Printable 1 | FREE Printable <<<
>>> Thanksgiving Printable 2 | FREE Printable <<<
The point of this was to have the kids think about who they want to send the letter to, and why they are writing to them. This is a great way to open up conversations about gratitude as well. Asking if they remember going to the zoo with their grandparents, or getting their favorite candy from an aunt can mean a lot to a kid, so seeing what things they remember can let you know how they feel loved by their family.
This is also a great activity to do in small doses. We plan on doing at least one a day until the week before Thanksgiving, so we can get them all mailed in time, starting on November 1st. My daughter wrote five because she was so excited about writing and mailing things to loved ones. I’m hoping the excitement keeps up the next couple of weeks so we can continue to remember all the things we still have to be thankful for.
