Welcome to episode 8! Wow, I can’t believe it’s already here. It feels like yesterday we started recording on lapel mics in our bedroom after the kids were tucked into bed. Only some of those things have changed, but we are happy to have some amazing listeners! Thankful even!
In this week’s episode we share a few recent moments where our kids showed compassion and politeness without any reminders. Sometimes they are full of surprises! We discuss how thankful we are for small moments that allow us to see the growth our kids have made and the hearts they have for others. These sweet moments are a helpful reminder that we can be grateful for the small things even when things might not be so great.
Listen to episode 8 here:
Our kids have different ways of showing love and compassion to others. Last weekend, Matt took the boys out for ice cream and when he asked how everyone’s ice cream was, they answered “good.” What surprised Matt was when Hudson, unprompted said, and “how’s your ice cream, Daddy?” Matt was overwhelmed with gratitude for Hudson’s question, because it was nice that he seemed to care about how Matt was enjoying his ice cream.
We had friends over recently, between the three families a total of 8 kids were running through our house. I was over the moon! As expected, there are always small tiffs between kids. Two people always want to play with the same toy and so and so doesn’t want the other to have this toy. If you’re a parent, you know exactly what I mean. Well Jackson was in the mix of those moments, but when one of the girls wanted something and someone tried to take it from them, he stepped in a retreieved the toy for her. It was a very sweet gesture and showed his kind heart for a good friend.
In another discussion with Jackson, he shared that he met a new student in his class. During our chat you could hear how concerend he was for this new friend and him fitting in the with the rest of the class. I offered (what I thought was) helpful advice which ended up showing me just how big my boy’s heart really is. We continued talking about this new friend and he said a lot his friends stick to the kids they know and the ones they care about. Jackson’s response was, “well I care about everyone.”
Does Learning Environment Impact Manners?
This week our friend said, “I just love Maddux, he’s so polite.” I kindly thanked her for the compliment, but then wondered why my third child was much better and “thank you” and “I’m sorry” then my older two. Personally, I think it may have a little bit to do with him being enrolled in preschool much younger than our older children. There’s no evidence that that is the case, but my youngest had to learn manners in a classroom setting and I do think that expedited the politeness process.
Gratitude in the Tough Moments
As parents, we are tasked with the difficult challenge of staying positive in the not-so-great moments. But let’s be honest, that’s super tough when it seems like things aren’t going the way we planned or unexpected events or tantrums occur and we have to get through it. We recently took a walk around our neighborhood with our kids and it was a less than fruitful experience. We walked probably .45 of a mile in 25 minutes. it was exhausting and we were pretty much at our wits end. In that moment, it felt like there wasn’t much to be grateful for. That’s hard to admit and I feel guilty because truly I have so much to be thanksful for, my kids, their health, our health, the weather…
I was scrolling through my reels and came across a preacher talking about gratitude and shifting perspective. He said, “I hear people complain about traffic, but how can they complain when they have a car?” He went on to say, “you know who doesn’t complain about traffic? People without cars. People that are walking, because they can’t afford a car.” It’s all about how you view your circumstances and what story you tell yourselves.
Change the Story
As parents our job is to work on changing the story we tell ourselves to get through hard times.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
i Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 NIV
In our latest message at church, our pastor talked about when Jesus calmed the storm in Matthew Chapter 8, how the disciples in the boat with Jesus were frantic and worried about their lives. Yes, the storm was bad but they were scared and worried and afraid even with Jesus in the boat with them. If they had changed the story they were telling themselves, they may not have been so afraid. They may have been able to remember that Jesus was, in fact, there in the boat and could protect them. Now, if that was how that story had been written in the bible, we wouldn’t have Jesus calming the storm as an example of how we should live through tough circumstances. So this story really is a testament to the value and the importance of giving thanks, acknowledging Jesus is alive and with us, and be grateful for the good things.
Thankful for the Small Moments
The sweet moments where our kids are showing kindness and compassion are just one example of the things we are grateful to see in our children that save us from spiraling when things get tough. Let’s be sure we don’t let our circumstances cloud the goodness around us and try to change the story to something more positive as we go through life’s difficult journeys.
Who Would You Thank?
Thank someone today that’s made an impact in your life!
- Who would you thank for your love of music?
- Who would you thank for your love of cooking/food?
- Who would you thank for your driving skills?
- Who would you thank for your love of sports?
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