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Teaching our children to say "thanks"

10:27 AM, Dec. 22, 2005

Children love Christmas! They delight in the many sights, sounds and smells of Christmas, but it is the anticipation of opening gifts that excites many of them the most. It brings us immense pleasure to experience their joy and excitement. We want our children to be happy and pleased with their gifts, but we also desire for them to be grateful.

John Piper preached a sermon entitled, “Proud people don’t say thanks!” If giving gifts at Christmas is symbolic of The Gift we have been given in Christ Jesus, then the way we respond to those gifts from others should be symbolic of our humble response to God.

As parents, it is an opportunity for us to model an attitude of thankfulness. For many years, I did not like receiving gifts. I don’t know if it was because of shyness and not wanting to be the center of attention, or because I did not know how to respond. Though I am still uncomfortable receiving gifts, I have learned that the way I react not only blesses the giver, but models thankfulness and humility to my children.

Christmas is a time for us to teach our children that showing our appreciation for a gift should not only include our response when we receive the gift, but also the time we take to write a thank-you note.

Be sure to add “thank-you” notes to your last minute shopping list, and schedule time for your whole family to sit down together and write them. As Martha would say, “It is a good thing!”

Hallmark cards has excellent suggestions for Christmas thank-you notes here.

“Tips on Teaching Children of All Ages About Thank You Notes” is another good resource.

Contributed by:

Patricia Hunter

Press Liaison

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC

phunter@thehomeschoolmagazine.com

Posted in Patricia Hunter, 4 comments, Link
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Comments
This is great topic to bring up now....

10:48 AM, Dec. 22, 2005, posted by PatinTenn

I sometimes fail at the sending thankyou notes for gifts. I try so hard but sometimes forget to give them. I am going to the store today and with your reminder, I will be picking up some cards for this.

Bringing up this topic, I want to share with you about my girls. Anytime I know I might be getting money for a gift, I always start thinking about what I can get "me" with the money. You know something I have always wanted but didn't think I should spend the money on. Well, when my girls receive money for a gift, they go and buy each other things with it. This month my youngest turmed 7 and she had received about $35 total and after her party, I took her and 3 siblings from another family by the mall to ride the merry-go-round. When they were done riding she asked me if we could go by the Disney Store. She wanted to share her money with her friends. I said okay and prayed real hard that $35 would spead out for 4 children because I did not have any extra that day. Would you believe that when we walked through the door of the store, they were having a 50% off sale on all $9.99 toys. They were $5 each. All of the children got to buy a toy and the cahsier placed each toy in it's own bag and I have never seen such happpy faces on a children like I did that day. These children (including my own) don't get to go shopping like this very often. My daughter never told anyone what she did. She was just content knowing that her friends got toys that day like she did at her party.

I learn so much by my children and their free giving heart and love.
Pat in Tenn

Untitled Comment

6:44 PM, Dec. 22, 2005, posted by Harriette

"Thank You, Patricia" for such a wonderful article on "Thank You's".........this is a HUGE stickler in our family and our sons know all too well that within a week of receiving a gift - we WILL be sending thank you's ~ and they WILL be hand written! They have been involved in the sending of Thank You's since about 3 or 4, even if it was just a personal scribble with crayon.......

Our society is becoming all too casual these days and it is refreshing to read the support of formal written thanks ~ it doesn't have to be an essay - however, a little sincerity goes a long way.

Harriette Jacobs

Great Article, Great Point

5:33 PM, Dec. 23, 2005, posted by

Patricia,

This is a great article! Modeling thankfulness for our children is probably the best reinforcement we can give to our words. I was surprised to hear my 2 year-old daughter say "Oh, thank you, daddy-o!" when I gave her a treat. Then I realized that it's what my wife had been saying to my daughter for weeks when she would do what my wife wanted. If we don't model it, our children will not see it as a natural and good response to generosity.

Steve Walden

Edited by SteveWalden on Dec. 23, 2005 at 2:33 PM

Making cards

9:39 AM, Dec. 24, 2005, posted by hsing3kinder

Yesterday I got out all of our paintbrushes, paints and watercolor papers. The kids were so very excited! Each of us painted two or three pictures (I told them no scenes, all abstract) and today we'll cut them into card size. They will make all our thank you cards for the gifts received this Christmas.
The children love making these cards, and family and friends love getting these unique works of art!
It truly is "A Good Thing"

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