Gratitude, A Practical Definition

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Kristin Welch’s new book, Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World is so relevant and timely, I can’t seem to stop talking about it. #cantstopwontstop

I shared my initial impressions here and here, but today Kristin’s launch team is considering the question, “What does gratitude look like in your house?” as a community, in a fun little Blog Hop (see below).

I’m grateful (<—see what I did there?) for the opportunity to participate, as it’s been a meaningful topic to ponder: What is gratitude, anyway? How can we embody and express gratitude? Why gratitude? And what, precisely, does it look like?

In our house, gratitude might look like… cleaning up after yourself. Not esteeming yourself greater than another with assumption of indentured servanthood. Ahem, children, ahem. I make this petition todos los dias, ad nauseam.

Conversely, gratitude could also look like going above and beyond, cheerfully serving each other, graciously going out of the way to be a blessing and help. Touche, Mommy.

Gratitude looks like… edifying, encouraging words. Delivered in person or via the post, properly acknowledging those in our spheres of influence– thanking them, celebrating with them, mourning with them, praising them.

Gratitude looks like showing respect with both speech and manner– polite, gentle answers that turn away [Mommy-]wrath

Gratitude looks like a humble perspective… focusing not on what we believe we are due or entitled, but rather on what we’ve been abundantly blessed with and mercifully delivered from.

But… how can we keep these ambitions forefront in our minds as we go about our busy days?

One thing that I find helps tremendously is to commence each day giving prayerful thanks to the Lord, thereby setting the tone and trajectory for the day. 

Another exercise I believe to be helpful is reflective journaling. My kids’ first homeschool activity, daily, is to write an entry in their gratitude journals expressing thanks to God for whatever is on their hearts. With creative liberty, sometimes their sentiments are profound, while other times they are quite simple:

“Thank you, God, for my family…” 

“Thank you, God, for candy…”

“Thank you, God, for adoption…”

“Thank you, God, for mermaids…”

(real-life examples^^^)

Though my pupils have done this for years now, I realize that perhaps I should heed my own instruction and join them in the discipline. *hashtag, hindsight

Obviously, we haven’t mastered our attitudes of gratitude. I might have muttered to Husband just this past week that we seem to be raising a rowdy band of ingrates, God bless ’em. While mastery isn’t a realistic goal, these applications might help to focus our efforts appropriately so as to rightly express our gratitude to God.

How about you? What does gratitude look like in your home?  

Join me as I ruminate on this further, checking out additional perspectives in the Blog Hop, below:

Inspiring an Attitude of Gratitude – by Alison
Rasisng Grateful Kids – by amanda
Why You Can’t Buy Gratitude At The Dollar Store – by Andrea
Missing – Gratefulness in our home – by Ange
Choosing Gratitude – by Angela
Gratefullness – by chaley
5 Steps to Gratitude-Fille Family – by Christa
Practicing Grateful Parenting – by Dana
Sing a Song – by Hannah
Cultivating gratitude in our family – by Jamie
Gratefulness In Our Home – by Jana
Gratefulness In Our Home – by Jana
Let It Begin With Me – by Jen
Choosing Gratefulness – by Jennifer
Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World – The Book – by jeri
Eradicating Entitlement – What are you rooted in? – by Jessica
Gratefulness in our home – by Kate
The Problem With Entitlement is that it begins with us – by Katelyn
7 Unusual Ways I Know How to Be Grateful – by Kathryn
Raising Grateful Kids – by Keri
How My Children Remind Me to Pray with Gratitude – by Kishona
Grateful – by Kristy
Entitlement: The Ugly Truth of a Beautiful Lie – by Leigha
The Most Important Thing You Can Do To Raise Grateful Kids – by Lindsey
Dear Son: How Do I Teach You To Be Grateful Without Guilt? – by Marie Osborne
Gratitude, A Practical Definition – by Mia
Cultivating Gratitude in Our Home – by Nancy
Learning Gratitude through Chronic Illness – by Rachel
Being Grateful – by Rebecca
I’ve Found Something I Can’t Live Without – by Sarah
The Power of Naming our Gifts – by Sarah
Outfitted – by Sarah Jo
Growing Gratitude in our Family – by Sondra
Teaching Gratefulness – by Stephanie
How Grateful Looks From Here – by Alison
Fighting Entitlement in Children and All of us – by Leah
Entitlement Problem – by Karrie
Grateful Today – by Krystal


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