When children are very young they tend to be very selfish and think the world revolves around them. If they do grow out of it, it seems to come back when they are teenagers.
It can be difficult for teens to see past their concerns and circumstances. For some teens everything is a drama and everything revolves around them. The world can be coming apart at the seams but if they can’t find anything to wear, that is all that matters.
Teaching teens to be thankful isn’t always easy. Many times all they see is what they don’t have or what they can’t do. Life is usually unfair and a drag.
So as I am thinking ahead to Thanksgiving, I am wondering how I can help my teens to be thankful.
While reminders can be helpful, for the most part teens aren’t going to be able to really internalize how it affects them. I can remind my teens about how blessed they are to have two parents, a house, clothing, food and all of the material items they possess.
The response I will likely get is something like, “Yeah, I have an Xbox but it’s not an Xbox Kinect” or “Yeah, I have a cell phone but this one is so lame.” As a parent it can be frustrating to point out the good things in someone’s life, only to have thrown back at you how much “better” it could be.
I think instead of reminding my teens what they have to be thankful for, I am going to ask them to write down 10 things they are thankful for. I want them to really think about it. I don’t have any guarantee that they will write something really heartfelt but at least it gets them thinking.
What are some ways that you have taught your teens to be thankful?
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