Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Thanksgiving and the Self-Centered Preschooler


t’s that time of year again…
No sooner do the grocery stores and shopping malls take down their Halloween decorations, then they replace them with Christmas lights and holiday advertisements.
And, of course, the catalogs start coming in the mail. Mind you, I have, overall, done a pretty good job of getting our address off of these mailing lists, but still, a few sneak in here and there.
Maybe I’m prematurely aging, but I find the commercialization of Christmas more tiring year after year. Perhaps it is because it drowns out the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Perhaps it is because the retail media machine would like us to skip right over Thanksgiving and dive straight into “Black Friday”. These things have bothered me for years.
However, I think the reason my patience for holiday hype is waning at such a rapid pace is the fact that I have a house full of little ones who already have a hard enough time believing that they are not the center of the universe!
Last week, I wrote about a new thankfulness project that I am trying with my kids this year. We’re only a week into it, and it has certainly helped to change the tone in this household.
What about some other ideas, though? What are some things we can do as mothers and fathers of little ones who are in great need of recognizing how blessed they are?
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2 comments:

Jimi Ann said...

How true about the holiday season! We've been trying to focus more on people than things -- like hosting families for meals, soup kitchen, sending cards and pictures to missionaries, etc. We give each of our children one present for Christmas (they really take care in their request this way). Also, our little ones have never even been to a mall! So they're satisfied with our simple life. Thanks for this post!

Trisha said...

Found you through a rabbit trail. :)

Congratulations on your newest blessing being knit together in secret! You are a wise Mama to cultivate gratitude in your children at a young age. One of the best ways to do that is to be an example of thankfulness no matter what is going on. I don't always respond well to messes and broken things, etc., but what a difference it makes when I model thanks to God for all things. We also go over what we can praise God for before closing in prayer at the end of Family Worship. We keep an Ebenezer Box and record things we're thankful for and read through the list on Thanksgiving. And, I just gave my daughter a multitude of mercies journal for her 10th birthday. Just a few ideas.

God bless you as your raise your precious family for His glory!

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I'm a Stay-at-Home, Christian, "crunchy" mama. I have been blessed with the calling to be a godly wife and mother. I am passionate about bringing up my children in the discipline and instruction of the LORD, through home education and discipleship. Helpmeet to my best friend and soulmate, Christopher since 1/29/2000, and mama to four little blessings, including a tiny, precious, newborn baby girl.

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Thank goodness I was never sent to school...Beatrix Potter quote at DailyLearners.com
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Our Curriculum 2010-2011

Bible--Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos, Apologia Biblical World View Book 1, "Who is God and Can I Really Know Him?"
Catechism-- "Training Hearts, Teaching Minds" by Starr Meade
Phonics--Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
(Kindergarten), Year 1 Booklist (1st Grade)
Handwriting--Bible Copywork, made using Educational Fontware
Spelling-- All About Spelling Level 1 (1st grade)
Math--Math-U-See Primer (Kindergarten) , Math-U-See Alpha (1st grade)
World History--Simply Charlotte Mason's Genesis Through Deuteronomy and Ancient Egypt
American History--The Light and The Glory For Children Series
Art--Interest-led projects and handicrafts
Geography and Missions-- "Hero Tales" by Dave and Neta Jackson, as well as various other missionary biographies, incorporating globe and map study
*We will be studying music and phy-ed., participating in a writing club and nature club, as well as attending various field trips, with our church's homeschool group.*

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