Gratefulness Begins with Mom

Free Life Skills Leadership Summit

During the holidays we often turn our thoughts to being grateful. How do we instill this quality in our children? If we want our children to have a heart of thankfulness, then we need to realize that . . .

Gratitude begins with mom.

If I want to teach my children to be thankful and show gratitude. First, I must be thankful and show gratitude.

There is no better way to cultivate a heart of thankfulness than to spend time with the Lord, every day. I know this is hard! Exhaustion is real for all mamas. At different stages of parenting, it is almost impossible to carve out time with the Lord when it is quiet, and you can be alone.

Verses to help you remember to be grateful and live it out loud at home, around your children.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

When the toilet overflows, the dog vomits on your new carpet, the baby wakes up with an awful cough, your preteen is having a major attitude, and your in-laws are due to arrive that evening, how do you respond.

a heart of thankfulness begins with mom

Do you give thanks?

I’ll be honest. I don’t! But we always have a choice. Do we react or respond?

The ONLY way I can even begin to make sure I respond, instead of reacting is with help from the Lord. When I do react in a way that is not beneficial for my children to see, I need to humble myself before them and have a talk.

Today, Mom did not respond in the way I should have. It was a hard day for me, but that is not an excuse. When days like this happen, we need to look for the good in the circumstance.

I am thankful that we have a toilet, even when it’s not working properly. Can you imagine having to walk outside to an outhouse just to use the toilet? Many don’t have a bathroom in their house.

I am so thankful that God gave us the money we needed to buy the new carpet. Isn’t it so good to know that God has given us doctors and medicine to help us when we are sick?

I love you Sweetie, and no matter how hard your day has been, or the rottenness of your attitude, I will ALWAYS love you and be there for you. I am so thankful that God let me be YOUR mom!

Aren’t Grandpa and Grandma the best. We are so blessed to have them in our lives!

What is something that didn’t quite go your way today but that you can give thanks for?”

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!Psalm 107:1

This is an excellent memory verse for the whole family to memorize. Make a game of it. Sit in a circle and each person says one word of the verse. Do it several times and see how fast you can do it.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17

While we teach and admonish our children in all wisdom, we need to do it with a heart of thankfulness in our hearts. I need His wisdom! Songs are an excellent tool for teaching verses, making chores fun and lifting the spirit.

a heart of thankfulness begins with mom

Oh, give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!  Psalm 105:1

Call upon His name often.

Ask Him for help, for wisdom, and remember to thank him when he answers. Share answered prayer with your kids. Make His deeds known among your family.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Psalm 100:4

Are you thankful for Sunday mornings, for your church, for family devotional times? Do you get excited about it?

Do you have a heart of thankfulness for the ability to homeschool? What has homeschooling taught you?

I encourage you to take a minute and write down five specific things you have learned, how God has shaped you through homeschooling. Keep it somewhere visible and thank Him. Ask Him to make you a thankful person in action and in deed and watch your children learn to do the same!

Then, everyone in the family will have a heart of thankfulness.

Want to read the complete post? Find it here.

Michelle has a High School Checklist and Course Requirements that you can download for free. The High School Checklist and Course Requirements with year by year graduation requirements includes all the important things for you and your high schooler need to remember and do in these last four years of school.

Michelle Osborn is the owner and founder of Yellow House Book Rental, specializing in providing homeschool curriculum for rent or purchase, as well as counseling and guidance for homeschool families. She is a wife of 29 years, a 22-year homeschool veteran, and mom of four amazing children. Two are now entrepreneurs, running their own businesses. Three of her children are now married. She and her husband absolutely adore their four grandchildren. Two of Michelle’s children graduated from college in three years. Her youngest graduated high school this spring of 2019 and is now furthering her studies as an esthetician. Homeschooling through high school is possible!

NOTE: Not all views from guest bloggers are the views of Kerry Beck or How to Homeschool My Child.



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4 Comments

  1. A good reminder. I tend to tell my boys to be grateful but often forget to model my own gratefullness for them to see.

    1. I agree…I have to remind myself to model what I want my kids (now my grandkids) to be. I’m thankful for Michelle sharing this info on my blog.

  2. Hi Michelle,
    I am a Christian and veteran homeschool mom turned freelance writer. I just found your website and you have such a wonderful set of resources for homeschooling families. I simply LOVE the idea of a homeschooling book rental. So ingenious!! This is an awesome giveaway!! Thank you for all you do to help and inspire fellow homeschoolers!

    1. Karen,
      Thanks for your kind comment. Michelle contributed this blog post as a guest for our 30 Days of Thanks series. Her website is in her bio. I’m Kerry and the owner of How to Homeschool My Child. I’m glad you found some wonderful resources here. Let me know if there are any topics you still need help.

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