November first has come and gone, and before you know it, it will be December. But let’s not rush November. Yes, I may be decorating for Christmas already (I have my reasons) but I do believe November has some true gifts in it. My kids have naturally started talking about Christmas and all the things they would like. This early Christmas talk always alerts me to the need to be extra intentional about November. I find myself asking:
What do I want my kids and myself to NOT miss in November?
This month can actually be a very sweet gift before the hustle and bustle of December. November can be a time for pause and gratitude. After all I do not want this month to be consumed with a laundry list of “I wants.” Rather, I want a laundry list of “Thanks” coming out of my kids mouths. So how will I make this a priority? A laundry list of thanks doesn’t exactly come naturally to a child (or an adult).
The best way I have found to instill thankful hearts into my kids is by making a thankful tree. My kids get involved with making it, some years it has been painting a tree on butcher paper, and last year it was creating a live thankful tree. This year, I wanted it to be a bit simpler. So…we are making thankful garland. I love this practice because it is an interactive lesson on gratitude and my kids don’t even realize it!
Source: wood leaves, wood circles
Every evening at dinner during November, I ask my kids to write one thing on a leaf that they are thankful for. Then we all go around and say what we wrote. This has become a fun tradition that our kids look forward to! What an awesome opportunity to really dig deep into your hearts together as a family, and see all the things we have to be thankful for. I do believe that thankful hearts will breed thankful mouths.
I think that verse is so powerful. What we dwell on is eventually what comes out of our mouths. As our family dwells on everything we are thankful for in November, my hope is that thankfulness will flow more naturally from our hearts into this holiday season. As a result, may our practice of thankfulness in November prepare our hearts to receive the love and sacredness of December.
And even more than that. May our thankful hearts compel us to look beyond ourselves and to see with clearer eyes who is hurting. May we be ready and willing to meet the needs of those our eyes and hearts are opened to. Planting seeds of thankfulness and gratitude in November can be so meaningful. Isn’t it amazing the gifts we can give our kids and family with just a little bit of intentionality on our part?!