We have to purposefully educate our children to be grateful for what they’ve in life.

And whereas educating them to be thankful and grateful is a life-long activity. November and Thanksgiving is always an ideal time to actually concentrate on gratitude.

So Make a November family tradition where every day what you speak about, have a good time, write down all the things you’re grateful for on the Gratitude Pumpkin. which then turns into your centerpiece of Thanksgiving table decoration.

Why Gratitude is Important:

When our children (or us) are feeling low, depressed, or just like the world is “unfair,” the quickest way out of the slump is to concentrate on what we do have. What we’re grateful for. What makes our lives wonderful.

In fact, somebody will always have more than us. However, we will also always have more than others.

Throughout a pandemic, focusing on what we’re grateful for is much more important. So much has been taken away from us. Once we concentrate on the things we’ve lost–time with family, college, time with buddies, sports, playdates – we are able to simply spiral into unhappiness.

And since we’re intentionally raising our kids to be kind, empathetic, and compassionate, we now have to begin by focusing on gratitude.

Children who’re ungrateful and look at the world from the standpoint that they don’t have “sufficient,” won’t ever be capable to give away kindness and empathy, and compassion.

They’ll as an alternative be looking for this elusive “sufficient” and won’t be capable to be their best selves or share their best selves with those around them if they’re devastated as a result of they don’t have a Nintendo Switch or the latest bike or the shiny new toy their buddies have.

So when children feel low, even when you feel low, and you had a no good, horrible, terrible, very bad day, the very first thing to turn  is gratitude:

• What’s working right?

• What do we have?

• What about in the present day was wonderful?

And in November, each night, turn to your Gratitude Pumpkin to write what you’re grateful for as a family.

Things to Buy for Gratitude Pumpkin:

1. Pumpkin: (Make sure to purchase one earlier than Halloween! After Halloween, pumpkins are scarce and fairly exhausting to search out).

OR a fake pumpkin (in case you have the room to store them) because then each year you may see what you were grateful for in earlier years.

2. Permanent Markers: Get the Permanent Marker Pen to write all your Gratitudes

How to Make a Gratitude Pumpkin:

1. Keep your (non-cut) pumpkin in your kitchen or dining room desk with a sharpie so it’s simple to remember to write down on it.

2. Each night when you eat dinner, talk with your loved ones about what you’re grateful for.

3. Begin on the top of the pumpkin and write, “We’re grateful for…” or “We’re thankful for…”

4. Each night, add just a few stuff you’re grateful for, writing in a spiral across the pumpkin. In our family, we each add 1-3 things each evening.

5. Begin with the super essential things we’re grateful for like your members of the family.

6. After you get through the essential things, you can begin including the fun and foolish things you’re grateful for like espresso, Alexa, and family movie nights.

7. By the end of November, the entire pumpkin will likely be crammed up with everything you’re grateful for.

8. Place your Gratitude Pumpkin on your Thanksgiving table in the center.

If you happen to celebrate Thanksgiving with other families, invite them to join you in this November tradition and bring their very own Gratitude Pumpkin to decorate the table too.