Michaelene Mundy - Its Great to Be Grateful!: A Kids Guide to Being Thankful

Its Great to Be Grateful!

A Kids Guide to Being Thankful

Michaelene Mundy

Illustrated by R. W. Alley

Abbey Press

A Message to Parents, Teachers,
and Other Caring Adults

We were raised to say Please and Thank you, and we recognize the importance of passing these good manners on to our children. At the same time, we dont want these to be just words said without meaning. While helping the children in our lives count the blessings in their young lives, we can help them get into the habit of using the word thanks to make others happy, too.

As parents, we tend to give our children the things that we believe will make them happy. Because of our generosity, the opposite effect can take place. They can come to expect things and dont appreciate what they already have. We may see this especially at birthday and other holiday celebrations when a wanted gift is not received and the day is clouded because of it. Thats when it hits home to us as caring adults that we need to teach our children the importance of truly feeling grateful and sharing that feeling with a thank you.

We know how being on the receiving end of a thank you can make us feel. We appreciate that the person thanking us recognizes the time and effort put into some action or gift. Gratitude makes us happy. We want our children to be happy.

Writer David Steindl-Rast goes so far as to say, It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. By helping children see the many things in their lives that they can be grateful for, we are helping them to be happy and to be able to handle times in their lives that are not so happy.

Another reason to be thankful is that our gratefulness makes God happy, too! The 13th century mystic, Meister Eckhart, is famously quoted as saying that If the only prayer you said in your whole life was Thank you, that would suffice.

May this book provide you some help as you pass on to children good, lived lessons of appreciation and thankfulness!

Michaelene Mundy

What It Means to Be Grateful

B eing grateful means you notice something good that has happened or is happening in your life. It might be something that just happened, like your mother fixing your favorite supper and its not even your birthday.

W hen you take time to be thankful, ordinary things can become special: a cupcake tastes better if you slow down and enjoy it. Remembering that someone took the time to bake them is another reason to be grateful.

Why Be Thankful?

I t is hard to be thankful and sador angryat the same time. Being thankful can make you feel good. Paying attention to the little things we have and the little things that happen can turn a boring day into a special day or an ordinary meal into a feast.

I t is important to let others know when you are thankful for something they did for you or made happen. Even GOD likes to know when you are thankful. At the end of the day you can thank God for your family, your friends, or for things like snow that you had fun in.

Being Thankful Is a Gift!

Y ou honor or show your respect for someone when you notice them or what they do for you and then show or tell them that you are thankful with a smile or a hug and a Thank you.

W e can also hurt peoples feelings by not being thankful. Did you ever do something special for someonelike holding the door open or carrying something for someoneand they didnt even notice? Did it make you feel sad?

I t feels good when others say Thanks to you. It is like someone giving a gift to you.

How to Be Thankful

Y ou can show your thanks with a note, an e-mail, or a text. You can even stop the fun thing you are doing for a moment and whisper a thanks to God.

I t isnt hard to be thankful. It does take a little time, though. It is a wonderful habit to notice when things are good and quietly say to yourself the feelings that are in your heart.

S ometimes we find it easier to say Please, than Thank you. We say Please when we are asking for good things we want for ourselves and for others. Saying Thank you can be every bit as important.

To Whom Should We Give Thanks?

Y ou can thank your mom and dad for the gift of your life. But you dont have to wait until your birthday. You can thank God for all the good people you have in your lifegrandparents, friends, teachers, neighbors.

I t is nice to show your thanks to people who take care of you or do little things for you. A friend who pushes you on a swing, your grandparent who takes care of you when your parents are gone, your teachers who help you learn new things, the librarian who helps you find a good book, are all people to whom we can say Thank you.

T here are so many people to thank!

What to Be Thankful For

T here are a million things to be grateful for. Things like your family and good meals to eat together. You can be thankful for a summer breeze on a hot day, or for the toys and games you have.