An Attitude of Gratitude

 

It was one of those days.

By 8am I was ready to throw in the towel and the day had only just begun. The whole family seemed to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. My oldest was upset that I vetoed her chosen outfit and my youngest was upset that she had to go to school at all. My husband was mad no one was listening, and we were all tired from being up too late the night before. By breakfast time there had already been much crying, whining, fighting, and a whole lot of yelling.

As I sat down to the table and looked at the three unhappy faces glaring back at me I knew it was my job to find a way to redeem the morning. A stern lecture began forming in the back of my mind. I was ready to let them have it. I turned to my oldest daughter, opened my mouth to speak, and then quickly closed it again. I’m still not quite sure what stopped me, but in that moment I opted for a different approach.

Instead of lecturing, I simply said, Tell me five things you are grateful for.

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Her face instantly lit up as she easily rattled off six or seven things she was thankful about. She was grateful for a yummy breakfast and clothes and a bed to sleep in and her American Girl Doll. She was even grateful for her sister and mommy and daddy and for her teacher and friends at school. Her four-year old sister chimed in, declaring that she was grateful for puzzles and the monkey bars and dress up clothes and candy. And then it was my turn.

What are you grateful for mommy?

{Finish reading this post over at The Better Mom}

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How do you maintain an attitude of gratitude in your family?