Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here and in the US and it is a great time of year to instill a thankful heart in our children. Many families, ours included, go around the table and have each person state what they are thankful for. We actually do this on other days, too, trying to increase thankfulness year-round.
Wouldn’t it be nice if a few years from now we could all look back and remember what our kids have been thankful for over the years? I have often done video interviews around Christmas time, and I think it would be a great tradition to start doing these on Thanksgiving.
Some kids might not be comfortable on video, but that doesn’t mean you can’t preserve these happy moments. You could list questions and have your kids write out answers, or dictate them to you and collect their answers over the years in a pretty scrapbook. Maybe even a voice recorder would work better for you.
However, my girls are both big hams and love to be on TV, so I will probably go with a video.
Here are some questions you might ask to get them started:
For younger children:
Finish these sentences:
- “I am thankful for…”
- “I am thankful for my brother or sister because…”
- “I’m happy I live where I do because…”
- “Thank you mom or dad for…”
- “I’m glad God made me special because….”
For older kids (you might want to give them a while to look over the questions you plan to ask before you begin taping):
- What is something simple you are thankful for?
- What is something new you are thankful for?
- Something old?
- Identify a rough situation from this year and tell one reason you can be thankful for having gone through it.
- Tell how God has made you uniquely different than others and how you can show thanks to Him.
- What are you glad you learned about this year?
- What is something awesome you got to do this year?
- What is something you’re thankful that God kept you from this year?
Note: if your child is having a hard time with a question, I wouldn’t force it. Maybe give them some examples and help, but if they just aren’t able to come up with some answers, I would just go back to some simpler questions. This should be a fun, uplifting activity.
Another idea:
As long as you’re getting the kids on tape, why not set a good example and talk a little about what you are thankful for? I cringe at the thought of myself on video, but I know that ten years from now I would be glad I took the time to record my own experiences and my children would love it, too. If you have a big family gathering, maybe everyone could get in on the action! Grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. What a treasure you could create for future generations!
Do you have any traditions that instill thankful hearts? Please share them!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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