A Little Gratitude Practice

In general, we are not a prayerful family. I’d call myself agnostic if I had to label it (which I don’t, personally) and growing up in a rigid, Catholic school sort of taught me to zone out and recite, as opposed to really lifting up hopes, worries and love to a Higher Power.

But honestly, it is one thing I’ve had a hard time reconciling as I became a mom. I always said my prayers before bed as a kid, and I think whether or not you believe, it is a wonderful way to reflect on your day and to be thankful for what you have. But for our family, it felt inauthentic and awkward to institute prayer for our kids.

A few weeks ago, I came up with a solution that has been the best thing to happen in my daily life. Before bed, the kids and I sit down together and we create a gratitude list. It’s nothing formal, we each take turns sharing things we are grateful for from that day. Tate usually only lists one or two (like he’s grateful for his scooter or toy cars), but Lu and I shoot for 10 each. Lucy almost always ends up with at least 15, and we all end up going to bed with big smiles on our faces.

So far this has been the perfect solution, but I’m sure it will evolve as we all grow. I love the idea of fostering gratefulness in my kids, and seeing how being grateful and reflecting on the gifts life has given them helps in so many other aspects of their lives (like self esteem and happiness). For now, this little daily gratitude practice is helping all of us in big and small ways, and I’m so glad we found it.