Thanksgiving Phrases That Apply To Daily Parenting

Thanksgiving is an incredible holiday. In fact, it’s often a favorite holiday for many people. Part of the reason why people love Thanksgiving (besides the food, of course) is because it’s a holiday that focuses on simple things, like gratitude, family bonding, and making memories.

We’re all used to hearing wonderful quotes and phrases about family, thankfulness, and love this time of year. But who says these phrases can only be used during the holiday season? Instead, let’s think about carrying these six phrases into our daily lives as parents. After all, parenting is all about love and togetherness, isn’t it?

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6
“I’m so thankful for you!”

Many of us spend our Thanksgiving holiday reflecting on all the things we’re grateful for in our lives. However, it’s important to tell our kids how much we love and appreciate them every single day, not just on Thanksgiving. Kids need to hear us say we love them, appreciate them, and care about them in order to build their self-esteem and bond with us.

In other words, find ways to express your gratitude to your kids each day, not just today.

5
“Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”

When you look up Thanksgiving phrases, the team at Shutterfly lists this one in their top recommendations. Although we see this French proverb everywhere during the month of November, it’s really something we should keep in our minds all year long.

This phrase reminds us that joyful memories are the ones that matter most, and we shouldn’t get bogged down by those moments when we feel frustrated, angry, or upset. Instead, we should store all those wonderful moments with our family in our hearts so we can reflect on them as our children grow older.

4
“Family is the best gift of all.”

This phrase usually pops up around Thanksgiving and stays until Christmas, but then it disappears until fall arrives again. Since I’m sure most of us moms genuinely believe that our family is the best gift of all, why don’t we make this phrase part of our daily parenting?

Sometimes the daily grind causes us to lose sight of what really matters. Unfortunately, this often means we look at our children and our spouse as a burden more than a gift. However, we can easily remedy this by placing this phrase into our daily vernacular so we remember how much our family means to us.

3
“Count your blessings.”

One of the best blessings of all is motherhood, yet we often skip out on counting our blessings on a daily basis. However, as Kevin Daum reminds us all in his article for Inc, we should “reflect upon [our] present blessings” because we all have plenty. And, just as Charles Dickens said in his famous quote, we should skip over counting our misfortunes, because “all men have some.”

Counting our blessings can also help encourage our children to do the same, which studies show provides many benefits. This practice is also great to start with young toddlers, so it becomes a habit that sticks.

2
“The more grateful you are, the more present you become.”

This incredible quote by author Robert Holden really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? Many of us feel connected to our families around the holidays because we are expressing gratitude and spending quality time together, which makes us feel more present in the moment.

However, remaining present with our kids is something we should really do every single day. Whether that means we take a moment to get on the floor with our little one during tummy time or we simply silence our cell phones and put them down during dinner time, moments where we fully engage with our family are so, so important. It helps us establish a better parent-child bond, and it usually makes us happier, healthier people in general.

1
“Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot.”

This incredible proverb is something that really captures what gratitude and thankfulness are about. We often equate gratitude to Thanksgiving time and make it into this huge, sweeping gesture. However, if we’re thankful in our hearts every day, we often find joy in the little things that happen in our lives. This is a great approach to parenting because it helps us let go of the small stuff and really focus on what matters, like quality time with our kids.

Thanksgiving is full of phrases about love, gratitude, and togetherness. While it’s great that we have a holiday dedicated to these wonderful things, it’s also important that we take these small phrases and carry them out in our everyday lives — even on days where there’s not any pumpkin pie. After all, a grateful heart is a happy heart, and that’s all any of us really want in life, isn’t it?

Sources: Shutterfly, Inc, Robert Holden

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