You're awesome...thanks mom!!!!!
My friend Andrea, who has had the strength of an oak while her husband has been away in Iraq for over a year (he was supposed to be home by now, but Bush had other plans), asked me how she can teach her kids to be more appreciative.
Me…she asked me….
The one whose son says, while we’re hanging out at MGM Studios in Florida, “I don’t want to go to this park. I want to go to a different park.”
Me…she asked me…
The one whose son cries because his father will not play Lego Star Wars with him, although he spent almost the entire weekend with him, going bike riding, fishing, having dinner, going for a walk, hanging out at a park, etc.
Me…she asked me….
The one whose son says, while we’re hanging out at MGM Studios in Florida, “I don’t want to go to this park. I want to go to a different park.”
Me…she asked me…
The one whose son cries because his father will not play Lego Star Wars with him, although he spent almost the entire weekend with him, going bike riding, fishing, having dinner, going for a walk, hanging out at a park, etc.
Me…she asked me…
The one whose son said to her after she brought us dinner from Boston Market, “Thanks for dinner, but next time, can you bring Tinucci’s?” (a local restaurant where we often get takeout chicken).
Me…she asked me…..WRONG PERSON to ask!!!!!!
Anyone have any ideas?
How do you teach your kids to appreciate what they have and what we do for them?
(Young kids that is….teenagers are just a lost cause.) 
posted by Undomestic @ 9:34 PM
6 Comments:
We are so fortunate to live in the land of plenty. But unless we are removed from our blessed circumstances,or are consciously in an awareness state we often don't realize what we have. At the end of the day either at dinner prayer or evening conversation or anytime really(for child and adult) it is a wonderful spiritual exercise to review our day together and express our appreciation for the littlest of things to major happenings, for a kindness we saw in someone, or a misfortune that allowed us to reach out to someone. We have many things and people to be greatful for and share our appreciation for their presence in our lives. Mom S
First of all....is that tree sap all over Ella?
Teenagers are not always a lost cause....just the other day Chelsea thanked me for getting her the ingrediants to make smores.
That day when Cam wanted more from Melvin...he had all this attention from him, so naturally, he wanted more.
No Dana, that's not tree sap. The boys attacked her with a water gun. She was NOT happy about that!
As a young child, my son never failed to say 'please' and 'thank you' and 'your welcome' etc. He is still pretty good about it, but sometimes needs a reminder.
By modeling, talking about and reinforcing the behavior we have given him the tools to understand the many, many blessings in his life and be appreciative of what he has. At some point we have to concede that the rest is up to him. He is 13, after all, and definitely not a lost cause. Only if we give up on him will that myth become a truth. Parenting may not seem like it is making a difference sometimes when kids are a certain age, but they listen and store it away.
I often wonder the same thing. Sometimes I say "thank you, so much mommy" out loud to myself when I feel unappreciated about ALL the things I do for my two little monkeys. They both say "Bless you" when someone sneezes. So, keep on modeling the please and thank you's!
Okay, so I didn't really mean that teenagers are a lost cause. But they are very self-absorbed by nature.
But I guess it's not the Manners that I'm concerned about. My kids are actually pretty good about saying please and thank you...or so people tell me. It's the appreciating part that I'm trying to figure out. Like truly feeling thankful for the things that they have and not feeling like they should be entitled to everything.
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