Though many of us probably have Halloween on the brain, November is just around the corner, and that means Thanksgiving! Especially with the culture we live in, I think it’s important to teach my children how to be grateful, and one day a year definitely doesn’t cut it ;). While we can and should teach gratitude all year long, it’s so easy to put an extra emphasis on being grateful throughout the whole month of November, and here are a few ways you can do that!

We often think about creating Christmas advents, but how about a gratitude advent? You could do this for the whole month of November or just until Thanksgiving- whatever works for your family. Each day you can have each member of your family say a blessing they are grateful for and keep the list in each designated pocket (it could be fun to look back on the previous year to see what blessings you thought of last year!). You could also put different quotes or scriptures that focus on gratitude in each day, or suggestions of acts of service your family could do- because serving is one of the best ways to see the many blessings we have!

A similar concept, but maybe a little better for those who lack the wall space for a gratitude tree would be to create a gratitude jar. Each day, have everyone write down (or draw a picture) of something they are grateful for. At the end of the month or during Thanksgiving dinner, pull out the jar and read each blessing as a final reminder of all that you have to be grateful for.

A gratitude journal/notebook is a similar concept, but one that allows you to look back through the years! You could implement this a couple different ways. Using the prompts above (or any prompts you want!), each person in the family could have their own gratitude journal that you pull out each season. Leave a little time at the end of the day for everyone to write (or draw) their response to the prompt in their journal. You could also have a big family notebook, where you write everyone’s responses on the same page. Either way, this is a great way for everyone to think of their blessings, and it would be so neat to look back on previous years to see how everyone has matured and how their answers may have changed!

Many of us are probably familiar with this tradition, but it’s too fun to leave out! A gratitude tree is a great visual for younger children. You can make a giant paper tree on the wall, or use an elegant centerpiece of sticks. Each day, everyone can write their blessings on a leaf and you add to your paper tree or add a leaf ornament to your centerpiece. You’ll not only give your kids a daily reminder to be grateful, but also have a meaningful decoration for the holiday!

I love the concept of gratitude stones- it’s like a month long game of gratitude! You could of course do this all year long, but I like the idea of having it be a special November tradition. Have your children help you paint/decorate a few small stones and place them throughout the house. I think it would be a fun idea to encourage everyone to hide the stones in a different place as they find them- what a fun way to encourage an attitude of gratitude!

Whatever you choose to do, I hope your family has an enjoyable and peaceful season of gratitude!