Our gratitude poster is filling up quickly. (If you missed that post, it’s here.)
Sometimes we talk about what we’re grateful for in the car … or over breakfast … and then write a few things on the poster. Sometimes the kids will think of something and immediately go to write it or draw it without letting anyone else see it. Then they “unveil” the surprise. Yesterday Claire did this and just couldn’t wait to show us what she had drawn. When she explained her sketch I melted into a puddle. Claire drew a picture of the grateful poster. She’s grateful for the grateful poster. Can someone please tell me how to bottle up the cuteness as it is right now?
This has turned out to be one of the most meaningful and valuable family projects we’ve ever done. It’s ongoing. It’s thought-provoking. It’s conversation-starting. And it’s fun! It keeps us all focused on gratitude which I truly believe is “not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” (Cicero)
Something to think about: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” (William Arthur Ward) Someone in your life needs to hear your appreciation today. What are you waiting for? Let them know. Send an email or a text — or even better — write a good ol’ fashioned letter and put it in the mail.
Life’s too short. Express your gratitude.
Tags: gratitude poster
We just did this for FHE last night…and read the talk you got the great quote from! Wasn’t it wonderful?
Life is too short; we really need to express our gratitude. Thanks for the daily reminder!
Can’t wait to start this project with my 3 kiddos!
I started this a few days ago with my kids (5 and 2 1/2) – used “thankful” instead of “grateful.” Then we got sick, so my 5 y.o. has been very upset that we haven’t been working on it! Thanks for the idea.
We’ve been doing a similar project with our three kids for several years now. I love this tradition! I love looking back over the years and seeing what each of us was thankful for that year & I love the years that the kids were too little to write it, so we did it for them
So wonderful & meaningful to focus on positive things in our life.
I absolutely love this idea. We started one at our house only on a 12×12 piece of card stock. I thought it would be a great to put in our scrapbook and make this a tradition. I love that your little girl is grateful for the grateful poster – adorable! Thank you so much for sharing!
Danielle what a GREAT idea!! Sometimes the obvious is right in front of you!! LOL
This is pure awesomeness! I can’t wait to do this stuff with my 15th month old daughter (when she gets of age). I’ve always dreamed of us going out for “gratitude” walks – but having an awesome board to draw it…WOW! SO cool! Thanks for sharing! Gratitude ROCKS!
Oh, and I just had to share the amazing quote on twitter!
Well said!
What a wonderful idea. I got one of my photographs made into a post card and have been sending 1 a day this month to a lady whom I am grateful for in my life. One friend got it on a day that was particularly hard for her last week (her husband was just sent overseas with the Army and she has 3 kids at home, 1 with Autism). I am so glad that I could be an encouragement to her during this time, and without this project, that would not have happened.
Erika- what a lovely idea! I love it and want to borrow it. Thanks for sharing!
Just wanted to say thanks for the great idea. We started our gratitude poster last night for FHE and my kids latched right on to it! Loving it!
We have a similar tradition- the first Family HOme Evening of November we make “thankful hands” It started out when my oldest was little–she is now 17! we trace our hands(the turkey style) and then write all the things that we are thankful for. The older children started to balk a couple of years ago and I almost let the tradition slip-but realized that our littlest guy needs to have the tradition as well.
Last night for FHE we talked about telling people when we our thankful for them or their actions. We had them write thank you notes to people that have done something for them. I hope that we can do better about thank you notes. Handwritten notes are so special in the age of computers and text messages.
I always make sure I tell my family that I love them often. I’m thankful to have them in my life.
Your post about this poster inspired me to do a gratitude project with my family. But I decided just to use what I already had. My husband drew turkey heads and the kids all got to color theirs and tape it onto a paper plate. Then I cut up about 100 small “feathers” out of construction paper and each day until Thanksgiving we will write something we are grateful for and tape it to our paper plate.
LOVE the project and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Claire’s shirt! Too cute!!!!!
I have a hard time getting my extended family on board with some of my story/history/scrapbooking/picture taking ideas. But I’m thinking a board like this at Thanksgiving might be just the ticket! Thanks for sharing another great idea.
I have a little stack of gratitude notes going out in the mail today. I’m old fashioned…I like the paper in my hands kind of note. Love this gratitude poster idea!!
Has anyone started a Thanksgiving tablecloth – with success? I’m thinking about doing that this year.
Becky!
This is so not on topic but where is your daughter’s sweater from? It is adorable and exactly what I am looking for! Would you mind sharing? Thanks so much!
On the random topic – where did you get the wallpaper!!! I’m in love. It’s like scrapbook paper only bigger. I have got to have it! Please let me know where you got it. I’ve been looking for something exactly like it.
I was thinking of doing this on Thanksgiving and having our guests write something down throughout the day. Then I will give it away at the end of the night to one of our special guests.
Thank you for posting such a wonderful reminder to express more gratitude in our daily lives, especially instilling these values in our children
My three year old daughter is enjoying writing on the Grateful Poster every night! Thank you for inspiring these priceless moments!
[...] am grateful that some of you were inspired to do a little gratitude project of your own this year. Here is a look at just a few of those projects. (Thanks to all who sent me [...]
[...] Claire was wearing an adorable black & white shirt in the Gratitude, cont. post. Where did you find [...]
Looks like a great thing to do….may have to pick up the materials tomorrow to start this…thanks for sharing.
We did one of these too (inspired by your post) and I love it.