Practicing Gratitude with Children at Thanksgiving through Prayer

*Picure by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Over the last couple of weeks I have been talking about gratitude in Chapel and in Spiritual Nurture at the school where I am a Chaplain. Students have had the chance to reflect on what they are grateful for and to whom they are grateful. Answers have ranged from pets to parents to trees, and any number of gratitudes in-between. In fact, when I asked the question in Chapel, “what is something you are grateful for,” I had too many enthusiastic hands raised to call on all of them! It made me realize students love naming the many things they enjoy in their lives.

Cultivating gratitude can be an easy and meaningful practice to continue with students or children at home over the Thanksgiving holiday. It gives them the chance to share and be known, and you the chance to see the world through their eyes. One way to do this is through praying together as a family before dinner. Take turns naming aloud what you are each thankful for by inviting each person to say “God, today I am thankful for…” After everyone has shared, close the prayer by all saying “Amen.” 

Being given a prompt can make prayer feel more approachable, while gently teaching a way to pray outside of the norm. Practicing gratitude leading up to Thanksgiving can help everyone in your family go into the holiday with a focus on being thankful. It will help you see your many blessings and be ready to say “thanks!"