6 Simple ways to give thanks

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We all know we should gives thanks, be grateful, and give back year round. Most of us try our best, but life can get the best of us. Kick gratitude up a notch this season and reinspire yourselves to continue throughout the year. Try these 6 simple ways to give thanks this season — perfect for the whole family.

 

Say “Thank You”

It seems so simple, but in our fast-paced lives it’s easy to let this one slip. For those of us with little ones, the best way for them to learn this is with us leading by example. I feel like I am always nagging my kids to remember their “thank yous.” Hopefully by letting them see us saying thank you and showing true gratitude and genuine appreciation, we are modeling the way. Also, another easy way to practice and teach gratitude daily is to incorporate thank yous into our dinner table or bedtime routines.


Create a thankful jar

This can be a simple and fun craft project and a good way to get the whole family invested. If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving it’s a great time to give it a try. If you like it, keep it going throughout the year, or at least at the next family gathering.  We use a large mason jar that we’ve decorated and leave slips of paper for each person to write what they are thankful for. You can find tons of examples and printable on Pinterest like this one from Peaceful Placemat.

Start a gratitude journal

This season, think about starting a gratitude journal to document your blessings.  Once a week or whenever you can carve out a moment, write about what you are grateful for, blessed with, excited about, and maybe a special event, place, or person that you are happy to have in your life.  If you have kids, try doing this with them at whatever level their at.

Send thank you notes

Whether it’s to say thank you for a gift, a gathering, or a helpful gesture, take a few minutes to send a handwritten thank you note.  Something about receiving snail mail always feels extra special. If you have kids, help them get in the habit of doing the same. For early writers you can even buy simple fill in the blank cards or let them express their appreciation with pictures to make it doable for them.

Perform random acts of kindness

Perhaps it’s leaving a token for the mail person on a cold day, or buying a coffee for the person in back of you at the drive through, try to practice RAKs often this season!  If you want to take it a step further, try a RAK Advent Calendar this year.  I make up my own, but you can find tons of great ideas online like the one above from Families Online.

Give Back

Be thankful for what you have and give to others.  The holidays is a perfect season to get started with this as there is certainly more of a need.  A really simple yet impactful way is to check with your local food pantry or shelter and see what they need. If you have kids have them help you collect items.  Perhaps in the neighborhood or at their school, or even go through your own cupboards or make a trip to the store. Also check places like your local YMCA as they usually will have a giving tree where you can buy specific items for families in the community. If you’re hosting, a holiday gathering maybe ask your guests to bring a donation. The opportunities are endless.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and hopefully relaxing holiday season with family and friends! What are your favorite ways to give thanks?

This post was contributed by Rebecca Spear as part of Savvy Sassy Moms Product Scouts. You can find more from Rebecca on her blog, Mainely Mama.

Meet the Author | Product Scout


Savvy Sassy Moms Product Scouts have been hand selected by our editors to bring you the latest and greatest products that make your life a little easer and a lot more stylish! Our product scouts have a variety of children from newborn to age 10 and are on the ground (literally) using and testing these products. Our reviews are honest and the opinions of the scouts are always their own.

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