Over the past several years we've realized it was not only important to teach our kids about kindness, but also gratitude and compassion for other people. 

We understand that this is not something that necessarily comes naturally to any of us, and so intentionally teaching our kids (and ourselves!) has simply become a way of life. Listed below are some resources and ideas that have helped us be more deliberate in teaching our kids about gratitude.

10 ways to teach your children (and yourself!) to be grateful:

  1. World Vision catalogs. Not just the Christmas ones, but the other editions they periodically send throughout the year, highlighting what life is like for children around the world. They will have personal stories of children and what life is like for them, including pictures. These articles have been wonderful conversation starters during family dinner time.
  2. When More is Not Enough: How to Stop Giving your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need. This book is an excellent resource for parents on how to practically start teaching your kids how to be grateful. Reading it is a guilt free way to incorporate gratefulness no matter if you've been doing it for awhile or just starting out now.
  3. Compassion International  has a program called Step Into my Shoes that lets your family, small group or church experience what it is like to be poor. This is an interactive activity that allows you to explore what it is like to live like a poor family in a third world country and experience the challenges they face on a daily basis. This is a wonderful teaching tool not only for kids, but adults as well.
  4. Kids Against Hunger Periodically we have taken our children to a food packing event in our community. It has been another way to educate them about hunger around the world, and ways that we can help. The children also get the opportunity to try the food and watch a video explaining more about how Kids Against Hunger is helping those in need.
  5. Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party Sole Hope provides shoes, medical care and education to children and families in Uganda where many children struggle with jiggers, a parasite that burrows into the feet, causing infection and pain. We hosted a shoe cutting party at our house where our friends were able come and help cut out pieces to make shoes, all with things we'd through out anyway (old jeans and milk cartons). This was another event our children were able to be a part of by helping cut, sort, and package the shoes. 
  6. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. While reading this book by Jen Hatmaker my husband and I decided to eat like the poor around the world and use the opportunity to not only learn ourselves, but to teach our children what it would be like to live as an average person in a third world country does everyday.
  7. The Verge Network This website has been a great resource for our family, offering free e-books (such as Be the Church), videos, and articles that have encouraged us to step outside of ourselves and offered tips on ways to engage those around us in practical ways. 
  8. Volunteer at a local shelter. We have volunteered several times at a local shelter to serve meals, and most recently leading up to Christmas, we helped with a Kids Hope Shop where underprivileged children could come and shop for Christmas presents for their family members. We were also able to help them pick out and wrap their gifts. 
  9. Writing thank you's and notes of encouragement. This year my family has started a new tradition where each month we write a thank you note to someone who may not get thanked very often and a note of encouragement to someone who may need a little cheer. This has opened up conversations with our kids I did not imagine, everything from talking about the homeless man on the corner to sick kids in my children's classes. While we always end by praying for the person we're writing notes to, this gives my kids a tangible way to see that they can be a small blessing in someone else's day and again teaches them to be grateful for the simple things they have (like health and food). 
  10. Homeless Care Packages. Like many areas around the country, our community has an evident homeless population. Instead of just averting our eyes to the person on the corner, my husband and I wanted to show our kids how we could help. We've taken the initiative to keep water bottles, gift cards and other supplies in our vehicles for anytime we come across a homeless person. If you're looking for ideas of what to offer the homeless in your area Bridging the Gap has a great post on how to create gift bags for the homeless
All of these ideas are easy ways to help teach our children about being grateful without lecturing or nagging them. They understand because they get to see, experience, and have compassion for others, while also realizing everything they are grateful for in their own lives. 

Are you looking for more resources? Have you checked out our books?


We've written two kindness devotionals, The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness and 100 Days of Kindness. They tell the story of how our families embarked on a one-year journey of kindness, and include our successes, failures, and the encouragement you need as a family to incorporate kindness into your own life.

Our newest book, One Good Word a Day, offers simple but deeply spiritual meditations that will help readers linger on one word each day so they can identify and reflect on how Jesus as the Word influences their daily lives. 
 
Looking for encouragement in your friendships? Our adult friendship devotional, The One Year Daily Acts of Friendship, includes a daily scripture, story, and friendship prompt. It's encouraging and slightly challenging (in a good way!) in helping you find, keep, and love your friends.  
 
Our devotional for tweens is a great complement to our devotional for women! 100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls is written specifically for girls ages 8-12 as they navigate friendships in upper elementary and middle school. With a scripture, short story, reflection questions and 50 fun activities to do with you or friends, it's a wonderful way to encourage your daughter, niece, granddaughter, God daughter and her friends to build healthy friendships from an early age.

We would love to walk alongside you in encouragement, inspiration, and community. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram as The Ruth Experience or sign up for our monthly newsletter (no spam, ever), here.

If you already have one of our books and love them, we'd so appreciate it if you leave a review on Amazon. 

We're in this together,

Kendra, Julie and Kristin


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Today, we are linking up with the SDG Gathering and Purposeful Faith.


Make A Difference Mondays is a weekly linkup designed to encourage and inspire us to live each day on purpose—making a meaningful difference in someone’s life in even the smallest of ways. Five women regularly co-host this link-up. Read on to learn more about the vision, mission, and how to link up!
 

Mission: Our mission is to provide a consistent gathering place for like-minded women to build online connections, share inspiration, and provide mutual encouragement and accountability as we seek to live intentionally and make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Vision: Every Monday we invite bloggers to link up any blog posts that encourage women to live life on purpose, including testimonies or goals from your own life, small acts of kindness or service, creative tips or ideas for showing consideration to others — the possibilities are endless. Our objective is to use our God-given time and resources to his glory! 

Also, just a heads-up: the Make A Difference Mondays team has created aFacebook community group to stay in touch beyond the blog posts AND we also have a new #MADMlinkup group Pinterest board: Make A Difference Mondays Pinterest Board.





   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   
Happy Monday! Thanks for being with us as we co-host for Make A Difference Monday, a place to get intentional about starting our week focused on the positive and dream up ways we can make a difference in the world. Today Kristin's talking about some great books to read during winter months when it's nice to stay home and get cozy. We'd love to know what's on your list of books to read, too!   

You might have seen the list of 26 Books to Read in 2015 – I filled mine out last week – but wanted to also share some of the books I’ve been loving lately, in case you’re looking for something but don’t want to get overwhelmed by 26 books. Here's a list of five books to read this winter, whether you're a new mom, a seasoned parent, looking for a laugh, or just having a hard day.
These past few years, I have seen the power of words in their ability to change thoughts, actions, and deeds in myself and those around me. What we speak brings life or death, and this is no small thing.

I decided that on this, the first day of a New Year, I’d like to share a BLESSING with all of you on what I hope for ALL of us this year. 

A Blessing as we start this year:

Life is hard -- this, we’ve all come to know.
Whispered in the quiet of our souls, we’ve all wondered where this thing -- this life -- is going. 
We've looked for purpose. And Meaning. And Peace.

This year, may we start to seek out the hard places in our hearts that long for answers beyond the surface.
May we search for truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
May we lean into the pain and discomfort without pulling away.

May we start to find healing in that space.
May we start to find peace. And hope.
May we face each day with grace and hope, and with expectation of the GOOD that is to come.

May we start to notice the good in people and tell them what we see.
May we watch for all that is hopeful and call it out. May we begin to be a people of praise.