A Sweet Way to Guarantee Your Kid Has an Attitude of Gratitude

This week, I stumbled across a dose of pure brilliance:

“Make this task your universe.”

I found it in a blog post with advice for how to stay centered during the holiday craziness. But the reason my brain has that one line on tumble dry, low heat?

A little incident I had while raking leaves that reminded me of the TRUE spirit of the holiday season…

Gorging yourself on baked goods. That rosy glow on your cheeks that only a steady drip of wine can bring. Uncle Larry volunteering to set up the kids’ new slot car race track and then hogging it to himself all Christmas Day.

Your Kids Are Not Immune

Adults aren’t the only ones who lose sight of what’s really important during the holiday season.

Through no fault of her own, Abby inevitably gets caught up in the whirlwind of Mommy’s holiday to-do list and accompanying stress.

We spend a month (or more) getting ready for Christmas, and then on Christmas morning it’s rampant CHAOS with wrapping paper flying and towers of empty cardboard boxes piled higher than the Christmas tree.

And that one present? The one you were so looking forward to your little one opening so you could see the look on her face? Because you knew she’d just LOVE it?

In the moment, she was so overwhelmed with the flurry of presents that she could barely process what the present WAS, let alone give you that thousand-watt smile of pure joy you’d pictured in your head.

Instead, the look on her face was a bit…zombie-like.

Related: 10 Unique Stocking Stuffers for Girls That Will Delight Your Kids {Printable}

A Free Printable for Teaching Kids Gratitude

We really did try to contain the Beast of Wretched Excess this year and buy Abby just a few presents, but she’s still going to have WAY too much to open.

So how do we help our kids slow down during the holidays? How do we instill an attitude of gratitude?

How can our kids make each holiday experience their universe?

Here’s a free printable to help your kids focus on what’s important this Christmas. Think of it as a special holiday edition of a gratitude journal for kids.

First, an interview about their favorite holiday experiences. Then a list to keep track of their gifts, who they’re from, and whether they thanked the person yet. The final page has a spot for including a Christmas photo (check out the tips here), your child’s name and the year, and where you spent Christmas Day.

This mini-gratitude journal is perfect for teaching kids to be grateful this holiday season.

Related: The Most Meaningful Gifts for Kids Who Have Everything

Download Your Free Printable for an Attitude of Gratitude

1. Download the interview. You’ll get the printable, plus join my weekly newsletter! Just click here to download and subscribe.
2. Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.
3. Interview your child to fill out the first and last pages, or have your child fill them out on their own. The list of gifts is on the second page, so feel free to print more than one of those if you need to.
4. Put the pages in a binder or file them away. Then after a few years, you’ll have a collection of these heartwarming snapshots to look back on.

Your Turn

What tips do you have for teaching gratitude during the holiday season? Share in a comment below!

Kelly Holmes

I’m a mom of four, a recovering perfectionist, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family. Parenting is hard enough without all the guilt we heap on top of ourselves. So let’s stop trying to be perfect parents and just be real ones. Sound good? Join my mailing list and as a bonus, you’ll get 25+ incredibly helpful cheat sheets that will ease your parenting struggles.