My kids made jars of gratitude, and I was amazed at what they wrote – Wired PR Lifestyle Story

One morning when I was swooped into an administrator and pushed holiday catalogs into the hands of my kids eagerly into the checkout line we were on target. My kids are still small enough that I can put all three in the shopping cart so they were sitting on the duck. Two seconds later, I saw the eyes light up as they thumbed through the selection of toys. Surely the next chorus came, “Mommy, can I do this? Can’t I have this? Mommy, mommy, mommy.”

Well, Mommy feels defeated.

During the season when children are required to build their own lists of things wantI want to figure out a way to show them what they already have be.

Naturally, I started on Pinterest, where I found a bunch of projects that my mom would do oooh and aah. With kids between the ages of three and eight, I always find it hard to find activities that work for everyone. But making jars of gratitude was not only something we could do, it was also an exercise that my children – who have so many – could do.

The idea is simple: every day, your child is thankful for something to write, and put paper in a jar. You only need three things. First, the jar itself. He will make any glass of light. Next, markers and construction paper. the more colorful, the better.

Finally, get the kids who take their time. I caught mine after the right pancake on Saturday morning, when the mood was clear. And I asked, “What are you thankful for?” they certainly answered.

Their answers were a key trio: Legos, ice cream, and God.

up and we were running to the right door! The two elders wrote their answers on a piece of paper while I wrote the answer to the three-year-old. Next week, we added jars of gratitude every day after breakfast.

The third morning, our pious son looked at me and asked me: “Why do not you meet on a ship?” So my husband and I got together, ready to catch up. My first piece of paper had the word “family,” but they wanted it to be more specific. So I became ‘Aunt Jude Alaska’. “Nature” was not quite accurate, so “the river that runs through our yard,” I had to change to. ‘Pumpkin Cake’ was received with great approval. This was fun.

Over the next few days were not happy surprise: baseball, classmates, unicorns and popcorn. Our eldest son of his bed. One day, all of them have been written down to their teachers, made me smile. In the end, his mother and father after the jars … stickers and string cheese.

As I need more time and energy these days, I could roll out these protective papers and put them into glue binders to sit next to their (now non-existent) baby books. But for now, kids like keeping jars on the kitchen look out this window, they have a bright reminder of everything, a forest that’s over half-full to look at.

Win that, Target.

Toby Lowenfels she is a writer living in Nashville with her husband and three children. It deals with pop culture What is Up Moms and helps Joy’s baker Sunday Links.

PS Family rites, and Thank you for seven tips for raising children.

(Photo by Maria Manco / Stocksy.)