January 22nd - What We Learned

This Sunday, January 22nd, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that Jesus can even walk on water! Mark 6:45-51 tells us that some of Jesus' friends got caught in a storm while they were fishing on the sea. In the middle of the storm, they looked out and saw what appeared to be a man walking on top of the water out to their boat. They panicked, thinking they must be seeing a ghost - because it is obviously impossible for people to walk on water. But as the memory verse for this month says, "And Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man, it's impossible. But with God, NOTHING is impossible!'" Matthew 19:26 Jesus climbed into their boat, and the storm stopped.

Plan to read this short story found in Mark 6:45-51 at home to your child at BED TIME or MEAL TIME. Then it can be reinforced during bath time or play time. Help your child pick a variety of objects to test out in the bath water. Be sure to choose some items that will sink and some that will float. Have him guess what each one will do, and then try it out to see what it does. Get a little silly, and let him try to walk on water himself.  Talk about how amazing it was that Jesus could do this.

(Side note: You could also discuss with your older kids the fact that Peter was able to walk on water with God's help. He could not do it alone, but God helped him do something that is impossible for people to do. God still helps us today do things that are impossible as Philippians 4:13 reminds us.)

Your child in Land of Promise (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that too much of a good thing can be very bad. (Proverbs 25:16) They were given examples of playing video games too much, or eating too much food, or watching too much TV. It is important to KNOW WHEN TO STOP.

To help your child internalize the trait of Self-Control, discuss with her during MEAL TIME or DRIVE TIME the following questions.

• What is something that controls you? 
• How can you tell when something is controlling you? 
• What are the clues that something is controlling you? 
• Proverbs 25:16 says, “If you find honey, eat just enough. If you eat too much of it, you will throw up.” (NIrV)   Can you think of somebody in your life who’s is good at “eating just enough,” meaning they know when to stop and make healthy choices?

January 8th - What We Learned

This Sunday, January 8th, your Reign Forest child learned that Jesus can control all the fish in the sea (Luke 5:1-11).  "One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee), the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.'

Simon answered, 'Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.'

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!'  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.'  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him."

Our Bible memory verse for the month is
Matthew 19:26 (Cup your hands around your mouth as you practice the verse with your child)
And Jesus looked at them and said, (make binoculars with your fingers around your eyes)
"With man, this is impossible, (say this dejectedly and hang your head and arms down)
but with God, (point up)
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!" (raise your arms excitedly to the sky)

Your child will completely enjoy acting the Bible lesson out in the bathtub with all their bath toys.  Give them a wash cloth or a small hand towel to use as a net, and take all the toys out of the tub.  They can "fish" with their "net" in the empty tub for a long time and pretend to get tired of it.  Then you can be Jesus who tells them to try again.  When they dip their "net" into the "sea" again in obedience, dump as many bath toys as you can find into the tub all at once.  Their little "net" will not be able to catch the multitudes of "fish" that are suddenly swimming in the sea.  Then the two of you can shout the Bible memory verse together!

Your kindergarten through fifth grade children in Land of Promise learned they should be slow to anger as Proverbs 16:32 instructs us.  The lesson centered around a video game controller.  Every game controller comes with a pause button, and the kids learned that God has also given each person the ability to PAUSE and control their attitude and anger before they choose the wrong actions.  Bottom Line: Pause before you lose your temper.

To illustrate this lesson at home, at the start of your MEAL TIME, read Proverbs 16:32 "It is better to be patient than to fight. It is better to control your temper than to take a city" and also read your child's memory verse for the month - James 1:19 "My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry."  Then fill a cup mostly full of ice and pour a drink over the ice.  Let the cup sit in the middle of the table during the meal. 

Periodically check on the ice to see if it has melted yet.  If possible, leave the icy cup on the table until bed time, or take it home from the restaurant with you and continue checking on the progress of the melting ice.  Comment on how slowly the ice is melting.  Discuss with your child how "being slow to anger" as Proverbs 16:32 and James 1:19 instruct can be like how slowly the ice is melting.  Tell him that when he begins feeling ANGRY about something, that he should picture the s-l-o-w-l-y melting ice, and remember that God has given us the power to PAUSE, THINK, AND CONTROL OURSELVES.

January 1st - What We Learned

On New Year's Day, your 2-5 year old child learned that Jesus can do ANYTHING, even things impossible for people to do! John 2:1-11 tells us that Jesus was at a wedding party when the hosts ran out of wine. Not a problem for Jesus, he simply turned the nearby water into wine.

The huh?  Whaaa?

What?  You mean that's not normal?

In class, the kids were particularly impressed when their teachers poured regular, clear water into see-through plastic cups and the water "miraculously" turned deep purple and smelled wonderful. (Before class, a few grains of powdered grape Kool-Aid had been placed in the bottom of each cup.) The children were told that it wasn't a real miracle like the one that Jesus did, and they were shown how the trick was done. Still, the initial shock of the magic trick helped instill real wonder in their hearts about what Jesus had done so long ago, and about what He is still able to do in their lives.

They then learned the new Bible verse for the month - Matthew 19:26 "And Jesus looked at them and said, "With man, this is impossible, but with God NOTHING is impossible!"

Your children brought home a paper jar and some scraps of blue and purple construction paper. They excitedly made the craft in class and practiced telling the story to each other using those props. If your child is old enough, encourage him to tell the story to you at home using the visual aid, and read the Scripture passage to him at MEAL TIME or BED TIME this week to reinforce the lesson. If your child is younger, you can use the craft and tell the story to your child.

The kindergarten through fifth grade children had their first lesson on Self-Control this past Sunday. They learned that according to Proverbs 25:28 a person without self-control is like a city without walls - he lacks protection and is a danger to himself. This concept was illustrated by a silly story about a man named Sir William and his horse, Hector. Sir William went looking for treasure, but his lack of self-control during this treasure hunt caused him to harm himself.
Your child began learning a new verse for the month of January. "My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry." James 1:19, NIrV

To help your child keep the concept of self-control in mind throughout the week, you can play a game during DRIVE TIME called "Game Off, Game On." In this game, you name a scenario. If the scenario describes a situation where someone is exercising self-control, your child should call out "GAME ON!"  If you describe a situation where the person did not exercise self-control, your child should call out "GAME OFF!" 

Remember, self-control is defined as choosing to do what you SHOULD do, not what you WANT to do.

Here are some suggested scenarios from the folks at Orange to get you started:

• You walk into the kitchen and see a GIANT plate filled with your favorite cookies. You’re tempted to eat ALL the cookies, but you eat only one. --GAME ON!
• A classmate calls you a name. You get SO angry that you kick your classmate in the leg. --GAME OFF!
• Your favorite TV show is on all weekend. You watch it from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. --GAME OFF! 
• Your brother grabs the Wii remote from you just as you’re about to beat your game for the first time. You want to slap him, but you don’t. --GAME ON! 
• Your teacher brings donuts to class. After everyone has eaten one, there are six left. You gobble them all up when no one is looking. --GAME OFF!
• Your sister breaks your favorite toy. You yell and scream in her face. GAME OFF!
• You’re playing your favorite game. You want to play for hours, but you turn it off after thirty minutes instead and go outside to play. --GAME ON!
• Your friend apologizes to you for something he did. You want to stay mad, but instead you say, “It’s okay. I forgive you.” --GAME ON!

Have fun!

Watch the January Preview Videos!

In January, the Reign Forest children will be learning about some of the miraculous things that Jesus did while He lived here on earth. I am reminded over and over of the verse in Proverbs "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I have come to understand that although all children have their own choices to make, and some when they are grown may choose not to follow God or what they were taught at an early age, the principles they learn as a child still do not depart from them when they are grown. I love the fact that the children at Lakewood Park are learning how amazing and powerful God is at this early age, and oh how I pray that this does not grow unbelievable to them in the future. In this three minute video below, Amber at Orange tells what this month's group of lessons are all about.
FL Preview : No One Else (January 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

The Land of Promise children have moved on to a new character trait for the month of January, Self-Control - defined as choosing to do what you SHOULD do, not what you WANT to do. In this six minute video, Dan from Orange explores the value of having that trait imbedded in our children's hearts. So many great points jumped out at me while I watched this video. In the beginning, Dan illustrates self-control by telling a story of his son playing a video game. The controller didn't work properly, and as a result, his son could not prevent his player from plunging to his "death" over a cliff. The horribly accurate picture that painted in my brain of what happens in real-life to people who have never learned how to control their emotions was sobering. One other sentence really stuck out to me. Dan said, "Our ability or inability to use Self-Control in the heat of the moment can make or break someone else's view of God." How much more valuable self-control is in the life of a Christian!
Preview: Game On (January 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

December 25th - What We Learned

This Sunday, Christmas morning, your two to five year old child in the Reign Forest heard how the wise men followed the star God had hung in the sky to lead them to the new king.  (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11)  Then the class celebrated Jesus' birthday with birthday cake! 

The last week of the Christmas rhyme goes like this:

WEEK 1
The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up)
He will show that God loves everyone! (hug yourself)

WEEK 2
Mary and Joseph traveled far, far away. (walk in place)
When they got to Bethlehem, there was no place to stay (hold hands out and shake head "no").
God gave them a stable filled with cows and sheep. (make a roof over your head with your hands)
Jesus was born, (pretend to hold a baby)
and on hay He did sleep. (fold your hands under your head like you are sleeping)

WEEK 3
The shepherds were watching their sheep at night. (place your hand over your eyes like you're looking for something)
An angel came and caused a great fright! (put your hand to your mouth like you are scared)
"Don't be afraid. (shake your head no)
I have good news!" (give two thumbs up)
Jesus is born (make a V with both arms up and fists closed)
for you and you and you! (point to different people)
The angels sang (pretend to hold a microphone)
and the shepherds ran (run in place)
to see the baby (pretend to hold a baby)
God sent to man! (point both thumbs to your chest)

WEEK 4
Then wise men came following a special star.  (make twinkle fingers over your head)
All the way to Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
they came from afar. (put your hand over your eyes like you're looking out)
They knocked on His door (pretend to knock)
then they knelt on the floor.  (kneel down on both knees)
Then they gave their gifts to Jesus.  (hold your hands out like you're giving a gift)

This Sunday, your kindergarten to fifth grade child in Land of Promise also heard the story of the wise men who visited Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-12)  This story illustrated the importance of getting wrapped up in others.  Think of all the ways the wise men gave to Jesus—not just the three gifts, but their time, energy, money, and intentionality.  Bottom Line: When you give, it shows others how valuable they are.
 
Your child learned that other people should be valuable to us because they are valuable to God.  When we give to others, it shows God that we value the people He loves so much that He sent His Son.  Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.  The monthly memory verse challenges us that there are many ways to be generous besides giving gifts that cost money. 

How will you “be rich in good deeds … be generous and willing to share”?  (1 Timothy 6:18, NIV)

December 18th - What We Learned

This Sunday, December 18th, your 2-5 year old child learned how the angels performed the first Festival of Lights concert for some nondescript shepherds sleeping on a hillside with a flock of sheep (Luke 2:8-18).  After the angels disappeared, the shepherds had a choice:  stay there by the fire in their sleeping bags where it was warm and dozy or go searching in the middle of the night for the newborn King.  And who would take care of their sheep if they searched?  Happily, they chose Jesus rather than sleep, and after they found Him, the Bible says they told everyone about Him.

Some children love to talk to strangers, to the extent that you feel the need to restrain them, while other children don't even want to look at someone they do not know.  If you have a talker, guide them into conversations where they get to share what Christmas is all about, even with a stranger at the grocery store.  After all, that's what the shepherds did.  They were so excited about the Savior's birth that the news just exploded out of them to everyone they met!  If you have a shy child, let him try telling a stuffed animal all about Jesus and Christmas.  It's good practice!

The third week of our Christmas rhyme goes like this:

WEEK 1
The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up)
He will show that God loves everyone! (hug yourself)

WEEK 2
Mary and Joseph traveled far, far away. (walk in place)
When they got to Bethlehem, there was no place to stay (hold hands out and shake head "no").
God gave them a stable filled with cows and sheep. (make a roof over your head with your hands)
Jesus was born, (pretend to hold a baby)
and on hay He did sleep. (fold your hands under your head like you are sleeping)

WEEK 3
The shepherds were watching their sheep at night. (place your hand over your eyes like you're looking for something)
An angel came and caused a great fright! (put your hand to your mouth like you are scared)
"Don't be afraid. (shake your head no)
I have good news!" (give two thumbs up)
Jesus is born (make a V with both arms up and fists closed)
for you and you and you! (point to different people)
The angels sang (pretend to hold a microphone)
and the shepherds ran (run in place)
to see the baby (pretend to hold a baby)
God sent to man! (point both thumbs to your chest)

In Land of Promise, your kindergarten to fifth grade children also heard the Christmas story, and they learned that God was the first and is the best Christmas-gift Giver ever!  (John 3:16-17; Luke 2:1-18)  God is the ultimate example of generosity. We give because God gave to us. His original gift is our motivation for giving freely to others. Bottom Line: God gave the greatest gift when He gave us Jesus.

In one of the busiest times of year it’s important to take time to remember who gave first. We can stop and remember how amazing it is that God sent His Son to show us a new way to live and later make it possible for us to live with Him forever if we just trust Him to forgive us for all of our sins.

Your Land of Promise children got to practice generosity in real life this week by participating in a gift-giving event.  All the children donated presents and selected class representatives to deliver their presents to some sick children at Lutheran Hospital this Sunday.  Ms. Amber and Ms. Dodi drove the children to the hospital with their gifts, and Ms. Dodi took this picture of them in the director's office before they handed the gifts out to individual patients.

December 11th - What We Learned

This Sunday, December 11th, your 2-5 year old child in the Reign Forest learned the second part of the "Christmas Story" how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, found no rooms available at any inns, and had to sleep in a stinky, old barn. (Luke 2:1-7)  That stinky, old barn ended up being where the King of the Universe came to live with us.

Out of all the various aspects of the Christmas story, this is the one that grabs at my heart the most.  I "get" that God loves us enough to rescue us.  I "get" that He chose to leave His beyond-imaginable palace in Heaven for us, but what I struggle to fathom is His choice to enter the world in that place, in that way - already unwanted, already pushed aside by people who had bigger and better things to do.  He started out His human experience that way on purpose, but why?  Was it to identify with the people who feel unwanted?  Was it simply symbolic of His future on earth?

In class, the children discussed this question, too, and they came to the conclusion that God loves us SO much, He just wanted to rescue us no matter what it took!  No matter where He had to be born!

At home, you can continue working on the Christmas rhyme with your child.

WEEK 1
The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up)
He will show that God loves everyone! (hug yourself)

WEEK 2
Mary and Joseph traveled far, far away. (walk in place)
When they got to Bethlehem, there was no place to stay (hold hands out and shake head "no").
God gave them a stable filled with cows and sheep. (make a roof over your head with your hands)
Jesus was born, (pretend to hold a baby)
and on hay He did sleep. (fold your hands under your head like you are sleeping)


Your kindergarten through fifth grade children in Land of Promise learned about a rich man who let his trust in "stuff" get in the way of going to Heaven.  (Luke 18:18-25)  He asked Jesus what he needed to do to get there, and Jesus answered by listing a bunch of rules.  When the rich man told Him that he had followed all those rules, Jesus said, "There is only one thing left for you to do.  Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, follow Me." 

Well, for a guy who claimed to have never murdered, never lied, never cheated, never stolen, and always obeyed his parents from the time he was a small boy, you would think that selling his stuff and giving the money away would be easy.  Instead, the man went away sad.

Why sad?  The Bible says the ruler was very wealthy; he had a lot of money here on earth.  Unfortunately, he was putting his trust in that, instead of trusting God.  In other words, he was acting like his money and his things were more important than God and others.

The children in class were given an assignment and a wrapper to take home.  They are to use their wrapper to wrap up a gift and give it to someone else.  The person and gift they choose is up to them.  They could go the obvious route and buy a present for someone, or they could wrap up the gift of time to give away, or maybe give the gift of their talents...  Help your child brainstorm gift ideas and creative ways to wrap that gift into a box.  Your involvement will be immeasurably valuable in your child's life.

December 4th - What We Learned

This Sunday, December 4th, your two to five year old children learned the first part of the "Christmas Story" that God sent an angel to tell Mary she was going to have a baby, but not just any baby, the Son of God!  We talked about the question why would God want to leave Heaven and become a baby?  And we discovered that it was because He loves us and wants to be our Friend forever.

Since God is completely perfect and holy, He is unable to be close to anything bad or wrong.  The kids talked about some bad things they had done like disobeying their parents or teachers or being mean to their siblings or friends.  Through this discussion time, we realized that the bad things (called sin) that we all do, keep us from being able to be friends with God, and He wants SO BADLY to be friends with us.  So He planned a way that we could be His friends!  He came down as a little baby, and he lived the exact same life we are living.  Did you know that Jesus was once a four year old?  And did you know that when He was four years old, He ALWAYS obeyed his parents and teachers, and He was ALWAYS kind to His siblings and friends?  Wow, Jesus lived a totally perfect life!  He never, ever sinned, not once!  And then, He chose to die on the cross to take our punishment for every sin that we have ever committed and will ever commit.  Amazing!

The whole reason He did this was so that He could be our Friend...forever.  Wow!

Parents received a take home page at the check-in desk with a Christmas story rhyme for you and your child to learn together.  There is one verse for each week in December.  If you take time each day to review the verse for the week with your child, by the end of the month, your child may be able to tell the entire Christmas story on his own!

This week's section goes like this:

The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up to Heaven)
He will show that God loves everyone.  (hug yourself)

Your children in Land of Promise (kindergarten through fifth grade) have started learning about a new character trait this month:  Generosity.  In their first lesson, Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who gets all wrapped up in storing up more stuff and ends up losing everything that really matters. (Luke 12:13-21)  Bottom Line:  People are always more important than stuff.

This man did what we all have a tendency to do—to focus on what Jesus or God can do for us, instead of thinking about ways we’ve already been blessed or how we can bless others. That’s why our monthly memory verse says, “Be rich in good deeds … be generous and willing to share,” 1 Timothy 6:18, NIV.  When we realize that it’s really a lie that stuff makes our lives better, then it’s easier for us to be generous, but we can’t really live generously unless we believe this Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

To reinforce this lesson at home, why not challenge your child to perform one premeditated Random Act of Kindness each week in December.  Yes, I said, "in December."  Why did I pick the busiest month of the year for your kid to do something special for someone else?  (Let's face it, most kids will need some serious parental input with this assignment.  You can all groan now.)  Because this month our kids are more tempted to focus on themselves than during any other month.  It's drilled into them every time they see a commercial, every time we parents and grandparents ask them what they want for Christmas, and every time their friends brag about what they might be getting for Christmas.  So let's drill something better into their hearts like, "What are you giving to someone else?  How can you be generous this Christmas?"

For some great Random Act of Kindness ideas, check out this blog post at What A Ride.  Be prepared to smile!

November 27th - What We Learned

This Sunday, November 27th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned how King David searched for his friend Jonathan's family members and found Mephibosheth to whom he could show kindness (I Samuel 20:14-17; II Samuel 9:1-13).  After Jonathan and King Saul had died in battle, Mephibosheth had gone into hiding.  It was common practice in those days for new kings to obliterate every relative belonging to the former king in order to show supremacy and prevent rebellion, but David went against what people expected of him.  Instead, he chose to be kind to his "enemy."  In fact, he went beyond simply being kind enough to let Mephibosheth live, he also reached out to him and helped him.  He gave him back all the property that King Saul had owned and sent servants to work for him and farm his land for him (because Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet).  He even invited Mephibosheth to eat with him at the palace every day for the rest of his life.

Even though David did this for his friend Jonathan's sake, and he was happy to do so, I couldn't help drawing a sort of parallel in my own mind.  What might happen if we went against the way people expect us to treat our "enemies" and instead chose to be kind to them?  Even more, what if we went beyond simply being kind enough to let them live their own lives without interference, and instead reached out to help them or heap gifts on them beyond what they would have imagined for themselves?  What might God do through us for other people that He loves and died for?

Your child in the four and five year old class became official members of the Happy Helpers Club this Sunday, and they received official club aprons.  They have been hearing stories all month of the adventures that Chadder the Chipmunk has been having as the founding member of the Happy Helpers Club, and they were very eager to be finally be allowed to be part of it.  Their top secret club oath went like this:  "I promise to help EVERYONE with a happy heart!"

To reinforce this Sunday's lesson, cuddle up with your child and pray with him at BED TIME.  "Dear God, thank You for making [child's name].  I love him so much.  I pray he will always look for ways to be a happy helper.  Help us both to be kind and loving to others.  We love You, God.  Amen."

Don't forget next week is graduation week.  If your four year old or younger child has had a birthday since July, you may be receiving a note to let you know that he or she will be moving up to the next class.  Please contact Suzanne or Connie with any questions about the move.

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned the importance of CELEBRATING what God has done!  Luke 22:14-20 describes how Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover together, commemorating a time in the past when God did something incredible for His people, Israel.  The disciples celebrated and praised even though they were facing an uncertain and frightening future (just before Jesus' crucifixion), and we should do the same as your child's memory verse illustrates.  I Thessalonians 5:18 - "Give thanks in ALL circumstances..."  This shows trust in our unfailing God.

During DRIVE TIME this week, talk with your child about a few times in your past when God did something amazing.  Tell her all about how wonderful He was to you.  Then ask her to describe something great that God did for her.  When the stories are finished, have a mini celebration in the car on your way to your destination and plan a more detailed celebration for when you are home.  For example: decide to eat your favorite foods for supper in celebration of what God did.  Give everyone a no chores evening, buy some helium balloons from the Dollar Store, and announce, "Today, we're celebrating the time that God did ___________ for us." 

Party hearty, my friends!  God is GOOD!

Truly Grateful

The article below was originally posted by Kendra Fleming on the Orange Parent's blog.  It struck a chord with me, and I thought it might resonate with you, also.

When my kids were little and someone would give them a cookie or a toy, I would always say, “What do you say Jack?” And his sweet little voice would say, “Thank you for the cookie.” Now that they are older, I listen for their “thank yous” and try my best not to prompt them. Something about reminding your 18-year-old to say thank you doesn’t go over very well.

But I want my kids to be more than well-trained and polite.

I want to nurture in them a truly grateful heart.

This is difficult. In our world, my kids have more than they will ever need. The number of gifts they receive for Christmas and birthdays is almost embarrassing. They are never in want and they have never experienced great loss.

How DO you nurture a grateful heart in the lives of children who believe that they SHOULD have everything they need?

Here are a couple of things to consider:

1. Don’t excessively give “stuff” to your kids.

You would think that the more you have, the more grateful you become. Because you have MORE to be grateful for. But somehow the opposite is true. Somehow the more we have, the more we take for granted. Strangely, when we have less, we are so much more grateful for each gift we are given.

2. Express sincere gratitude for the things YOU have been given. 

As a parent, you need to go beyond the polite “thank you.” Talk to your kids about the things you are grateful for. Help them see what a difference that gift or that home cooked meal made for you and your family. Express gratitude for your health, your job and your family. Go beyond the stuff and express your personal gratitude for the bigger aspects of your life.

3. Teach your kids to take care of what they have.

When you are truly grateful for something, you tend to value and take care of it. Taking care of the things that you’ve been given communicates that you understand the value of the gift. It matters to you. You are grateful.

4. Instill in your kids the understanding that everything belongs to God.

This is the thought that we don’t own anything. It’s all a gift. Every breath? A gift. Our children? A gift. A warm home? A gift. Clean water? A gift.We don’t deserve these things. We certainly aren’t in control of these things. God has given them to us. They are a gift. Everything we have belongs to God. It is all in His control. It’s all a gift.

When your children are young, you are in the training phase. You are teaching them the “thank yous.” But when you go beyond “thank you” to really helping their heart understand that they don’t deserve what they have, you have the opportunity to raise children who understand that everything is a gift. And a day will come when they realize the true value of those gifts.

On that day? You will have a child whose heart is truly grateful.

What are some other practical ways to teach your children to be truly grateful?