Modeling Manners of the Heart

"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them leaves an impression." Haim Ginott

How true!! Statistically, I can improve the frequency of my child's genuine outward display of gratefulness by actively practicing the saying "Thank you for ...." or the writing of thank you notes. (I also firmly believe that thank yous should be 'gift-specific' with an added note of why/how the gift is important Example: "Thank you, Momma, for the chocolate chip cookies. They are my favorite because you made them with love.")
I should show my children that I am appreciative of even the smallest kindness by verbally expressing Thank you often and with heartfelt meaning. Even the smallest toddler can see through insincerity!!
I practiced saying thank you to my kiddos for services they provided (activities they needed to perform for health's sake). My Hubby would get tickled and call it 'reverse child psychology'. "Thank you, Hayley, for brushing your hair this morning. You did a great job AND saved me some time!" "That outfit looks nice one you, Cameron, because there are no holes in the knees. Thank you for changing and bringing to my attention that I need to mend your other pair of pants." "Trae, I know you must feel better now that you have blown your nose. Thank you for picking up and disposing of the dirty tissues. You are preventing the spreading of your cold."
I thanked them for gifts - "Cameron, those roly-poly bugs make me smile. Thank you for sharing the little interesting things GOD made." I thank them for smiles, hugs, car washings, etc., anything that would leave an impression that their actions and thoughtfulness were IMPORTANT to me!
And I DID NOT WAIT for my three to spell and write sentences before teaching them how to 'write' thank yous. We personalized -everything possible - with hand prints, footprints, fingerprints as our 'signature' and confirmation of gratefulness. I made sure that each of my children had a very special place to plan, organize, and and create his/her own thank yous. (I believe I might be the "Adam" of scrap booking...each special place was stocked up colored pencils and or unusual writing utensils; pretty papers that were saved from gifts, comic sections, ends of wrapping paper rolls; glue sticks, tape, etc. Sometimes my creativity is most passionate in the wee morning hours and I wanted each of them to be creative whenever the 'mood' hit!) Helping them address envelopes and mail their creations was the culmination. It was so much fun to be thankful that I could (should) have started my own Hallmark Store!
If we are to raise thankful children, we must be thankful for the blessings of innocence and honesty, too. Your children are watching. Although it is comical, the following snippet is true.
A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you for these pancakes..." When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I'd see if He was paying attention tonight."
Only 10% of the lepers had been trained and genuinely conveyed thankfulness to our LORD. And Jesus the great Mathematician was paying attention!

As A Child

And while you're at it, remember to put on your 'shopping list' the following inexpensive or free toys that please nearly all children everywhere!

• Capes made from towels
• Squeeze bottles for tub toys
• Arm sling made from dish towel
• Pretend grocery store that's stocked with clean empty boxes, cans, etc., and register receipts
• Binoculars made from two towel cardboard rolls taped together - put pieces of celophane from large windowed envelopes for realistic effect!
• Puppets made from stray socks that are piling up in the laundry room
• Sewing cards made from washed meat trays and old shoelaces
• Pretend post office stocked with junk mail
• Bottles of bubbles - refill with 1/3 dish soap 2/3 water solution as needed
• And, above all else - a free library card of his/her very own!!

Pajama Ride

Today's suggestions for lessons plans will involve adult participation in a very active way. The story of Jesus surrounded by children conjures up in my mind activities that will enlighten me to become more childlike, better fit for the Kingdom. The following idea I read from another and since my children are grown, I can hardly wait for my granddaughters to come visit to experience this one firsthand! Please share your experiences when you've tried this one for yourselves!

One night, after the children are in their pajama and tucked into bed, wait about 10 minutes, race into their rooms, flip on the lights, and call out, "Pajama ride!" Wrap a blanket around each child, buckle them in their car seats, and go to your favorite drive-through ice cream joint. (Ours is DQ!) Order sundaes for all! Your kids will love the memory, they'll get to see Mom and Dad (Mimomma and Granddaddy) act crazy, and you'll have a wonderful opportunity to talk with them about what's going on in their lives.