Six ways to teach children 🧒 gratitude 💝 around the holidays ✨

So, last Sunday at soccer practice… oh my god. My son, about halfway through, just decides he's done. Just… done. He shrugs his shoulders and mumbles something about not ‘feeling it.’ And I just… I lost it. I actually yelled at him. I’m not proud of it, but there it is. I'm human, I guess, and my patience just completely snapped.

It’s just… you do so much, you know? All the driving, the snacks, the cheering from the sidelines—all for something he said he loved. And then to see that attitude, that complete disregard for the privilege of it all. It just hit me. This isn't just a kid being in a bad mood; this is a gratitude problem. And it got me thinking about my own childhood. We never really sat down and had formal "gratitude lessons." It was just… in the air. It was in the way my dad would pull over on the highway to help a stranger jump-start their car, no questions asked. Or the way my mom was always knitting scarves for my teachers or baking sweets for the neighbors. I remember how she would so carefully pack up our gently used clothes for my aunt in Colombia—she's a nun who runs this huge refugee orphanage in Bogota. It was just what they did. It was how they showed they were thankful for what they had.

So yeah, after that whole mess on Sunday, I decided I have to be way more intentional about this with my own kids. It's not just going to happen by magic. Life is a constant to-do list, especially around the holidays, and it feels like there’s never enough time. But this is important, so you just have to make the time. I've been thinking about it a lot, and here are a few things I’m trying to focus on.

1. Lead by example- This one feels so obvious, but honestly, I forget it all the time. It really has to start with us. Just saying “thank you” more around the house. When my kids actually do something I’ve asked, I’m trying to make a real point of thanking them, not just giving a nod. And to people at the store or in a restaurant. A simple, genuine thank you. I read somewhere that those two words can totally make someone’s day, and I believe it. It lets people know you see them, you know?
2. Don’t buy everything on their wish list- Ugh, this one is so hard, especially this time of year. You just want to give them everything and see their faces light up. But I'm starting to realize that the more they get, the less any of it really means. It just becomes a mountain of stuff. So we’re trying to talk more about the wish list this year. Like, what do you really, really want? What's the one thing that would be super special? I used to think more was always better, but now I’m not so sure. It really is about quality, not quantity.
3. Teach them the value of money- This has been a total game-changer for us. It’s actually kind of funny how fast their attitude shifts when it’s their own money on the line. Suddenly that cheap plastic toy they just had to have isn't so important anymore. Making them save up for something they really want is a slow process, but it helps them understand that money doesn’t just magically appear. And honestly, when they finally get to make that big purchase, they're so much prouder of it.
4. Encourage them to volunteer- I really think getting them outside of their own little world is so important. I’ll be the first to admit we haven’t done enough of this, but it’s a goal. Volunteering somewhere, serving people who have less… it just puts everything in perspective. It also opens the door for some really meaningful conversations that you just don't have on a normal day.
5. Patience is a virtue- This is basically a note-to-self. My son isn’t going to turn into a gratitude expert overnight. I mean, let’s be real, some days I’m not the most grateful person. It’s a practice for all of us. So I just have to keep showing him, keep talking about it, and just be patient. It’ll sink in eventually. I think.
6. Teach them to be gracious and respectful all year round- And it can't just be a holiday thing, right? As soon as the Christmas tree is out on the curb, we can’t just pack up the gratitude and respect with the ornaments. It has to be something we live and breathe all year long.

After that temper tantrum on the field, we came home and I was just… stuck. I didn’t know what to do. So I grabbed a big piece of poster board and suggested an arts and crafts project. We decorated it with big, messy rainbow letters at the top and called it our “Gratitude Wall.” It’s hanging in our kitchen, and we’ve been filling it to the gills, each taking turns writing on it. It’s just a daily, visual reminder to stop for a second and actually write down the many, many things we have to be grateful for.

It’s not a perfect system. Some days we forget to write anything. And my son definitely still has his moments. This parenting thing is a marathon, not a sprint, I guess. We're all just figuring it out as we go.

Happy Holidays,

Soraya

MommaBear Organics.