About a week before Thanksgiving until New Year’s, like many I brace myself for long searches for a parking space at the grocery store and strategic queuing at the check-out line; I try to shop enough at one store to earn the frozen turkey give-away, and scramble to find that great stuffing recipe I wrote down on a little piece of paper two (or was it three?) years ago.  This year I hope to avoid the frenzy, starting with Thanksgiving – one of the few holidays embraced by American families from every ethnicity and faith background – as a focal point for reassessing and renewing a sense of gratitude, particularly one that will instill a lasting sense of thanks for my children.   Grateful kids = grateful parents, and vice-versa. 

To get started instilling a sense of gratitude that lasts well beyond Thanksgiving, start with this list of 10 Ways to Raise a Grateful Kid, which I created for PBS Parents.

And here’s a gratitude tradition we’re gearing up again for, that connects our holiday dinner with Global Giving and good causes in the US and abroad.

Do you have a ritual, approach, activity or conversation topic that helps instill gratitude? Please share what’s worked for you!

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