We've been practicing gratitude as a family for a long time now. Years. Though our commitment seems to wax and wane along with everything else in life.
A few weeks ago, Little Miss and I gathered leaves from each tree and shrub in our yard, plus her favorite strawberry plant. We flattened and dried them. Then we covered them in contact paper and threaded them along some garden twine. The idea originated at this link on The Chocolate Muffin Tree.
They make a lovely decoration in our dining room. Plus they are a great conversation starter during dinner, when I grab a sharpie and ask everyone to share a gratitude. One by one our leaves were filling up.
Somehow the Halloween hullabaloo knocked us out of this habit. I've ignored the leaves and conversations about gratitude for more than a week. Oops.
Then last night when we sat down to eat, Miss Second Grader jumped up without a word, grabbed a marker, and, in her very best group leader voice, asked, "Okay, what is everyone thankful for? We have a lot of leaves left!"
She was so effective at prompting us all, we covered all the remaining leaves that night! We're going to have to scavenge a few more leaves to make it through the month! It's always a joy to watch one of my projects become a routine she treasures.
How has your family's gratitude practice been going? Share your project ideas or discussion suggestions!