During the holidays our thoughts turn to the many blessings that enrich our lives. But gratitude shouldn’t just be something we share annually around a big dinner table. That’s especially true for parents who want to teach their children the difference between wants and needs, the importance of helping others, and value of contentment in a world that’s always pressuring us to chase more.
Here are three ways that you can integrate more gratitude into your family’s routine during the holiday season and hopefully establish
some habits and values that will carry into the New Year.
1. Model gratitude.
What’s on your gift list this year?
A new phone that’s not much different than the one you already have? More clothes and jewelry? A new car that you don’t really need?
Then is it any wonder that your kids will spend the next six weeks making lists of stuff they want too?
You are your children’s main model for emotional and financial behavior. If “wants” dominate the household conversation, they’re going to want more too. If they hear their parents constantly plotting to “keep up with the Joneses,” they’re going to start measuring their own worth in superficialities as well. And if you’re constantly muttering about work and money when the bills come in, they’re going learn that there’s no such thing as “enough.”
One of these easiest ways to model gratitude is with two words: Thank you. Thank your spouse for making dinner. Thank your kids for cleaning up after themselves, or for putting in some extra work at school. Thank the delivery people who drop off your groceries and the landscapers who keep your yard neat.
And if your home internet is running a little slow or your neighbor parks a new boat in the driveway, resist the urge to compare or complain. The more content you appear in your life, the more content your children will feel in theirs.
2. Assign responsibility.
It’s natural for parents to want to make life easier for their kids. But parents who make life too easy for their kids too soon could be creating their own idealized version of reality: one in which hard work and the value of a dollar are vague concepts at best. And if kids don’t have to work for any of their comforts or contribute to the household, they may begin to feel entitled instead of grateful.
No matter how much homework your star student has, no matter how many extra laps she had to run at soccer practice, kids can pitch in around the house. Even if you don’t link things like cleaning their rooms or setting the dinner table to an allowance, giving your child simple tasks will help them learn to appreciate the effort that goes into getting things done. That lesson will make a warm meal and a clean, cozy sweater even more valuable.
3. Practice gratitude together.
The fullest expressions of gratitude require intention, effort, and practice.
Instead of asking your kids, “How was your day?” ask them “What’s something that happened today that made you smile?”
Encourage older children to start gratitude journals so that they see more of the positive in their lives.
Help your children sending gratitude out of your house by writing thank-you notes – not just for gifts but for teachers, coaches, and friends who lend a helping hand.
And as you start to plan your holiday giving, ask your kids what charities and causes are important to them, how they think your family can make your community a little kinder, and how you can keep giving throughout the year.
Our Life-Centered Planning process can help you feel more positive about how your life and money intersect.
Schedule a year-in-preview meeting and let’s start working to make 2026 another year you’ll be grateful for.
Picture of the Month
“The value of life lies not in the length of days,
but in the use we make of them.”
– Montaigne
Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. This article was prepared for Paul Peeler’s use.