With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this time of year serves as a reminder to express our gratitude for all of the wonderful things in our lives. It’s also the perfect time to teach your children how to give thanks for all of their blessings, so they grow up to be adults who understand the importance of giving back to the community. It’s easy for kids to get wrapped up in all of the hype the holidays bring. That’s why it’s so important to remind our kids of an important aspect of this time of year: giving thanks and giving back to the community. However, it can be hard for a child to understand the concept of gratefulness. That’s why we’re sharing 6 ways to teach your children to give thanks this season.

Journal

A fun tradition to start during the holidays (and carry throughout the year) is to start journaling as a family. Each evening, write down what you are grateful for in a journal.

Perform random acts of kindness

Make a goal for each day to go out of your way to do something kind for someone else. When you’re journaling that evening, each family member can share his or her random acts of kindness.

Deliver cookies

Baking and delivering cookies to your local fire station, police station, or food bank is a fun activity that your kids can be actively involved in. They will feel great that they actually helped make the cookies you deliver—and handing them out to people who appreciate the gesture will teach your children how good it feels to give back to the community.

Volunteer

Donating your time is one of the biggest ways you can help others, and teaching this to your kids at an early age is so important. Try volunteering at a variety of places, such as the local senior citizens center or homeless shelter, to see what interests your child.

Share your love

Don’t forget to tell your kids how incredibly grateful you are for them! Showing them how thankful you are for the wonderful things in life is the best way to set an example.

The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction team wants to give thanks to all of our amazing patients.

You inspire us each and every day, and we’re so thankful to be able to do what we love.