Christmas Gratitude

As a kid, Christmas Day was probably the best day of the year. I don't recall being particularly excited about the decorations or all the baking my mom did (shortbreads galore, which are still a favorite!). What I do recall was spending hours going through the Sears Wish Book - a catalogue of toys and other Christmas related items. By the time December 25th actually rolled around, the catalogue was well worn and dog-eared. My brother and I were constantly changing our minds about which toy we wanted.

We couldn't wait to see what Santa would bring. But even better than the toy was the fact that when we went to bed on Christmas Eve, a tree would be delivered and decorated! I can't even begin to imagine how much work that was for my parents.  They would head to bed at 4 a.m. and within the hour my brother and I would be creeping down the hall to see if Santa had come.

I'm ever so grateful to have had these experiences as a kid growing up in the 1960's. And I'm even more grateful that I decided not to continue that tradition with my own kids. 😊

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year to teach our kids about gratitude. It can be as simple as creating a supper time routine where each family member states one thing they were grateful for that day. Or you might want to try keeping a gratitude journal at home or as a class activity with elementary students.

You can download this FREE CHRISTMAS GRATITUDE activity.

However you chose to do it, find your reason to be grateful today. 🙏