First, in order to encourage your children to show more gratitude, you need to work on yourself. Here are a few ideas for parents/adults:

1. Keep a notebook by your bed and write down one thing you are grateful for each night. It becomes really fun to look back on (especially on a “down” day) and see all the things you have been blessed with.
2. Make sure you express your gratitude to others. I am a “Words of Affirmation” person, so when someone specifically thanks me for something I did, it makes my whole day. What a simple way to make someone else feel special. Thank your server at a restaurant, the cashier, a teacher, coworker, or friend. Thank your boss, a neighbor, or even a stranger.
3. Tell your kids you are thankful for them. This goes along with number 2, but focusing on your kids. I think, too often, our kids overhear our complaints or frustrations about them. They need to hear positives from you and you will be surprised at their change in behavior.
4. In moments when you are feeling down, take a minute and list 10 things that are good for you. This simple shift in mindset will help you re-train your brain to realize that the good outweighs the bad.

Ok! Now to help our kids develop a Thankful and Grateful attitude. This can be tricky, because you can’t control how someone else feels or reacts. Our kids have their own personalities, but these things might help!

1. Be an example! Kids learn a lot of behaviors from watching their parents. I will always remember the first time my first daughter said, “Good grief!” and I realized that I said that WAY too often. Funny, yes, but not something I would want her to say often. Instead, let’s make “Thank you” and “Please” and general manners be our go-to.
2. Talk to them about it. Do you remember your parents ever saying, “Be grateful you have food. There are people in *whatever country* that don’t have anything to eat.”? Well, we don’t need to go to the extreme, but our kids need to be taught or reminded that they are blessed and lucky to have certain things.
3. Make a “Thankful Tree”. This is one of my kids favorite traditions each year. We make a BIG tree on the wall and they each get to add a leaf with something they are thankful for each day. By the time we make it to Thanksgiving, our tree is loaded!
4. Have a secret with each kid to do random kindness for each other. I like to pull each of my kids aside privately and assign them a certain sibling to be nice to for the day. Then, it is super fun to talk to them at bedtime and see what they did for each other that day.
5. Create habits. There was a good period of time when my kids complained EVERY time I put food on the table. Somebody always had an opinion of what they didn’t like and what they didn’t want to eat. I quickly grew tired of that, so we made a new rule/habit that you didn’t have to like it, but you did have to tell mom “Thank you!” I now get 5 little voices saying, “Thanks for the food, mom,” EVERY time I give them food. It makes me feel a whole lot happier to make dinner day after day when I know that they will be grateful for it.

*Here come my affiliates (links to products where I gain a small commission if you choose to buy something, at no extra cost to you)!

Here are a few products that I have used to encourage gratitude in my home!

Leaf Stamps–These make a fun craft project. Kids can make their own personal “Thankful Trees”. Don’t forget the stamp pads and good paper.

Butcher Paper–Do yourself a favor and BUY yourself a roll of white butcher paper. We use ours all the time it is going to get its own blog post soon. But, this is what we use for our Thankful Tree. You can make it as tall as you want/need. (Also use for table covers during art projects, etc).

Construction Paper–Make leaves for the Thankful Tree, or make Turkey Hats. So many Thanksgiving crafts can be made with construction paper. We never have enough!

Thanksgiving Craft Kits–Amazon has SO many cute craft kits. They come in bundled packages, so you don’t have to gather your own supplies. I love this Create a Turkey Sticker set and these Turkey Ornaments and these Scarecrow Head Magnets. Crafts always get me in a festive spirit, and then can act as a reminder of Thankfulness every time you see them displayed around your house!

GET YOUR THANKFUL ON!

-Kristen

The post How to Encourage Gratitude in your Kids first appeared on Just A Mommy Minute.

The post How to Encourage Gratitude in your Kids appeared first on Just A Mommy Minute.

Our family is trying to implement a rotating system of one-on-one dates with each kid. We picked Thursday evenings, and we typically have ~1 hour to spend on any particular activity. Each week, we draw a date idea out of a jar. It eliminates the decision making.

Our kids certainly look forward to their turn each month and love to have special time with one parent. Here are some of our cheap or free date ideas that we’ve loved doing with our kids:

1. Color a picture together
2. Play a board game
3. Go to a park
4. Play with a ball (soccer, catch, bocce, croquet, volleyball, etc.)
5. Go on a bike ride
6. Take a walk/hike
7. Create art with nature (rocks and sticks)
8. Go out for ice cream
9. Check out your local library together. Choose a book for each other.
10. Teach each other something, or work on a project together.
11. Dance to your favorite music
12. Play a video game
13. Do each other’s hair/paint nails/spa day
14. Build a LEGO set together (affiliate link)
15. Read stories
16. Bake cookies
17. Put on a fashion show (with commentary)
18. Browse a toy store with no intention of buying anything
19. Look at the animals at a pet store
20. Grab a donut and chat about life

What are your favorite ways to get to know your kids one-on-one?

Happy Dating!

Kristen

The post 20 Cheap or Free Dates to do with Kids first appeared on Just A Mommy Minute.

The post 20 Cheap or Free Dates to do with Kids appeared first on Just A Mommy Minute.

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time trying to clean and organize my house and work in the yard. My kids are great to help out a lot, but I know it’s not that much fun for them because, let’s face it, it’s not that much fun for me! I decided that I would make sure to at least play one game with them every day. Here are our top 5 favorite games right now.

1. The Bears and the Bees

I just got this game for my birthday last month. It took me a few weeks to decide to open it and figure out the instructions (I’d much rather have someone teach me a game than read the instructions). It became a quick favorite. I ask my kids to play it with me every day. Definitely great for age 7+, but my 4 year old likes to sit with me and help me match colors as well. It has hexagon-shaped cards that you match by color to create a game board. Strategize by giving cards to other players, and try to find places where you can play again to go out first. Very simple to learn, quick to play, and fun!

2. Cover Your A$$ets

Another Grandpa Beck’s game. This is another family favorite. I like that this game works for 6 players. It also says 7+, but my 6 year old had no problems playing, and my 4 year old can play with verbal assistance. It is a game of card matching, and stealing from other players to build your deck of a$$ets. Again, quick to learn, easy to play, not overly complicated, and a pretty fast game.

3. Kingdomino

Build your kingdom with domino-like cardboard tiles. 2-4 players. Recommended ages 8+ (but again, it can be enjoyed and played by speaking instructions/suggestions to younger kids). We love that there is a bit of subtle strategy, and that the game is different every time it is played.

4. Blokus

This game needs 4 players unless you get a separate board that facilitates 2 players. I love to visualize the pieces and how they will fit, but then be blocked off and have to find a new route. My kids usually like to compete for second place, because I always win…..but I completely LOST yesterday. 4th place out of 4. Fun and simple, with simple strategy and good geometric visualization. Ages 5+. 2-4 players, but best with 4 on this normal board.

5. 5 Crowns

Ages 8+, and says 1-7 players. This is another fun card game that is played through 11 rounds. The first round starts with 3 cards, and then each round gains 1 card until you reach 13 (or King). Match card in sets or runs, similar to Phase 10, but everyone stays on the same round and progresses together. First to get all their cards into sets and runs goes down, everyone else has one last chance to get anything put down.

What games do you like to play with your kids right now? We’re always up to try something new!

The post 5 Favorite Games for Kids first appeared on Just A Mommy Minute.

The post 5 Favorite Games for Kids appeared first on Just A Mommy Minute.