Fall

Shocking News About Gratitude and Raising Healthy Kids

Gratitude has a lot to teach us about healthy kids. Help your child blossom by simply bringing awareness to gratitude in your family’s life.

gratitude healthy kids 105

We’ve even thought up three easy things you can do to invite gratitude into your family’s rhythm and transform your child’s life.

FREEBIE! And if you’d like to download a free printable Gratitude Fridge Sign to help you remember 5 ways of inspiring gratitude in children, you can click this link to get your free Gratitude Fridge Sign.

How are you cultivating gratitude in your home? Share with us in the comments below!

Why Does Gratitude Matter?

It turns out gratitude sparks a whole bunch of goodness and health in our lives! The wisdom of our spiritual foremothers and forefathers is even showing up today in academic research.

Over at UC Davis, Harvard, and Berkeley, there’s buzz about the massive benefits of being thankful. Are you ready for this?

gratitude healthy kids 102

Gratitude…

can lower blood pressure and improve immune health
can reduce lifetime risk for depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders
is a key resiliency factor in the prevention of suicide
can decrease the likelihood of smoking, alcohol abuse
blocks toxic emotions like envy, resentment, regret, and depression
is associated with healthy levels of cholesterol
can facilitate more efficient sleep
reduces stress hormones
contributes to a healthy nervous system
lowers levels of creatinine (an indicator of the kidney’s ability to filter waste in the body)
can improve diet and exercise routines
improves satisfaction in relationships
can create a more generalized sense of optimism and joy

My goodness! That’s an overwhelming number of perks. Do you want to help your children access these benefits with simple practices? Of course! Read on to invite more gratitude into your child’s life and your life, too.

gratitude healthy kids 103

Give Together

Give things, talents, time, and resources to others, particularly those in need. Make this a common practice your child takes part in. Not only does this inspire gratitude; over time, actively giving to others shows them their worth as it relates to others. And it creates a habit of generosity.

Consumerism, in order to survive, tells us that we aren’t enough and we have too little. Giving to others helps a child see through this myth. In reality, we are enough and we each have so much to give.

Brainstorm with your child about what they have to give, e.g.: stuffed animals, clothes, money, time, or talents. Then, pay attention to their passions. Listen to what in the world makes them sad and angry. Pair this with their passion and equip them to make a difference.

Children learn the concept of abundance as they see just how much they already have. And awareness of abundance breeds gratitude.

gratitude healthy kids 104

Model Empathy

Research is showing us that there’s an interesting correlation between empathy and gratitude. The way adults relate to children may have an impact on their ability to gratitude as they grow.

Older children who practice gratitude were more likely as young children to have understood the emotions of others. So, help children notice and interpret others’ emotional experiences.

Talk with children about how they feel and why, even from the beginning of life. Also, model this as you reflect with them on your own feelings.

Research tells us that when caregivers lay this foundation for emotional intelligence they simultaneously plant seeds that will grow gratitude later.

gratitude healthy kids 101

Express It Together

Consistently express as a family what it is that you are each, and collectively, thankful for. For example, say grace before eating. Do bedtime prayers. Or take time during meals or drives to and from school to share things you’re grateful for.

It doesn’t need to be a big production. Remind your children (and yourself) that it isn’t about saying it the right way. Simply give voice to the gifts you all come across in your day.

Sharing special times of gratitude brings your child’s attention to happy and hopeful moments during their day. Consequently, they’ll form neuropathways that encourage gratitude, joy, generosity, and health going forward. Powerful gifts for our kids, right?!

gratitide healthy kids 106

We hope your family discovers even more ways of inviting gratitude into your home! You are already giving your child treasures to take with them each time you practice gratitude. And what will the world look like once these resilient, hopeful and strong kids grow into adults? I can only imagine and we can’t wait to be witness to their greatness.

Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating. May it be rich and restful and bursting with gratitude.

3 Wondrous Ways to Celebrate All Saints’ Day with Kids

Alissa Ellett 2 Comments

If you came here looking for youth ministry resources for All Saints’ Day, you can download our FREE All Saints’ Day Youth Resource here.

Celebrate All Saints’ Day with children and open them up to the significance of those who have gone before and to the value of their own life here and now.

all saints day with kids 1

Halloween or All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve or The Day Before All Saints Day. See the connection?

Growing up, I never knew this connection. I was entirely unaware that this super fun, candy-crazed, neighborhood run amok related to the day at church when we remembered our ancestors of the faith. To be honest, I don’t know that I ever celebrated All Saints’ Day as I grew up in the church.

What a loss! Because it is seriously such a gift to faith families, and one often under-appreciated. Celebrate All Saints’ Day with kids and teach them just how lasting our connections in the family of faith are and how profound the gift of life is.

all saints day with kids 2

Quick Facts About All Saints’ Day

When I hear the word saints I think of high church, gold gilding, stained-glass windows. But, really, All Saints’ Day was celebrated long before cathedrals were erected. Let me shed a little bit of light on the origin and practice of this very cool holiday.

This day of remembrance…

…was first celebrated as early as the fourth century to ensure all martyrs were honored since martyrdom had increased during the persecution of the Late Roman Empire.
…became a formalized holy day for the diocese of Rome in the middle of the 8th century when Pope Gregory III moved it to November 1.
…Pope Gregory IV made it a holiday for the whole church, not only the diocese of Rome.
…now honors all those who have gone before us and reside in the realm of Heaven.
…is also known as Feast of All Saints and All Hallows Day. (A hallow was a saint or holy person.)
…falls the day after Halloween.

all saints day with kids 3

…overlaps with the Mexican holiday El Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, when people gather to remember family members and friends who have passed away and pray for their spiritual journey to Heaven.
…is followed in the Catholic Church by All Souls’ Day on November 2nd, which commemorates all the souls in Purgatory readying for entry into Heaven.
…is often celebrated by visiting the grave sites of loved ones who have died to leave flowers and blessings of gratitude.

Connecting in Both Life and Death

So, the days that close October and welcome November are rich with symbolism and honor both life and death. All Hallows’ Eve (or Halloween) begins the celebration on October 31st. Then, All Saints’ Day takes place November 1st. Lastly, All Souls’ Day happens November 2nd.

Remembering the dead is an important exercise of communal memory. Consequently, people of all faith traditions across the world honor and celebrate the dead with festivals. These rituals span history and culture.

So, how do we teach children the richness of life and the gift of those who have come before us? How might we use these days to highlight for them their spiritual ancestors and the importance of their life, too?

all saints day with kids 4

In current times, it’s common to feel disconnected and un-rooted. This is true for children, too. And the church provides powerful ways to connect, rooting us in community with one another.

These connections are celebrated on All Saints’ Day. We ask questions of our own lives as we remember those who have gone before us. What relationships formed me? Who did God use in my life? What moments and people showed me who God is? How will I be remembered? What will I be appreciated for? How can my life be used by God?

We are part of God’s endless creation; each of us a strand of yarn. God knits us together to create beauty, warmth, protection, and comfort in the world as we walk through life alongside one another. Not one of us is left out. Celebrating All Saints’ Day with kids teaches them that they, too, are a strand in God’s ongoing masterpiece.

all saints day with kids 5

Three Easy Ways to Celebrate

When celebrating All Saints’ Day with kids it’s helpful to set yourself objectives. Here, we’ve listed three activities that aim to teach children that…

…all people are saints
…we remember our spiritual ancestors
…others’ lives can teach us how to live for God
…their life matters

Faithful Depiction: Invite the children to draw a picture of a person who has passed away and from whom they learned a lot about life and/or their faith. Invite them to think of qualities in this person they would want to have in their own life. Tell them to draw those qualities and ask that they share with the class when all finished.

Candle Lighting: In worship or Sunday school, invite members to light a candle for each person they’d like to remember. Do this at one table up front or at stations around your space. For increased safety, use battery-operated tea lights. If you use these, use them for all people, not only the children. This will keep them feeling a part of the community. Invite those who are lighting to say something like, “We remember and thank you.”

My Story is God’s Story: Provide the children with booklets made out of construction paper. Invite them to write their life story, one event per page. Encourage them to illustrate their story and to look for ways God was with them and at work along the way. Discuss the ways God can change lives through their story.

all saints day with kids 6

We hope these activities are fun and powerful as you celebrate All Saints’ Day with kids in your church! How are you celebrating All Saints’ Day with kids? Don’t forget to share in the comments below!

Astoundingly Simple Tips for Your Best-Ever Backpack Blessing

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Holding a backpack blessing during worship is a great way to encourage students preparing for the new school year.

backpack blessing 101

What’s a Backpack Blessing?

A backpack blessing is a moment set aside during your worship service to encourage students. Doing so celebrates with the excited, and soothes the anxious. No matter the age or how a student is feeling about the upcoming school year, a backpack blessing is a valuable ritual within a faith family.

Students bring their backpack with them to church on an assigned morning. Then, if the worship space is conducive, they head up front with their bag and receive a blessing. Often, students receive a tag to put on their backpack that reminds them of this special blessing.

Are you doing a backpack blessing at your church? We’d love to hear about it! Share in the comments down below.

backpack blessing 104

Why Do a Backpack Blessing?

Lots of feelings surround the start of a new school year. Some students are over the moon. Others are made nauseous by the thought of a new teacher, class, maybe even a new school. That was me. The thought of school starting would cause my stomach to turn immediately. And some kids don’t care all that much one way or another.

No matter where a kid is on that emotional continuum, ritual offers something for everyone. When we gather to reflect on such a moment of time, we find comfort, grounding and a sense of added significance.

Also, a chapter’s beginning is an important time to recognize God’s faithfulness and care. God walks with us always and sends the Holy Spirit to strengthen and equip us for all the steps we take in life. Don’t worry….God’s Got Your Back! 🙂

Seizing opportunities to highlight this informs our children’s and youth’s faith journeys.

Additionally, we highlight for students what a blessing education and access to it is. Gratitude is the basis for joy, so we offer our young ones a gift when we teach them to search for God’s provision.

Not only that, but we are blessed to be a blessing to others. Take the time to dream about how they might be a blessing in their school and community.

Searching for something concrete? Invest in girls’ education through The Revolutionary Underground Foundation, an organization and girls’ school started in 2006. Their mission is to provide girls and young women in Africa access to learning resources and technology, leadership training and emotional support, focusing on empowering them to become vessels for change.

Helpful Tips for Your Backpack Blessing

Place backpacks up front when students arrive. As a result, they won’t have an issue in getting out of their row to go down front for the blessing during the service.
Ask that the students arrive a few minutes early to go over what they and their parents can expect.
Have the students leave their backpacks up front after the blessing. Once the service is over, invite families to retrieve their children’s backpacks.
Take a photo of all the students with their backpacks to share on social media. Also, it makes a significant impact to mail a print of the picture to the students with a card of encouragement.
Communicate with parents who may need financial assistance for purchasing their children’s backpacks. Coordinate acquiring them before the blessing so their children have a backpack there.

backpack blessing 103

Variations on the Backpack Blessing

Include all those connected to the education system and parents in the blessing.
Invite students of all ages to participate, not only children and youth.
If students aren’t often present in worship, meet for a backpack blessing at their schools one morning the week classes begin.
Host an end of summer all-church cookout and incorporate the backpack blessing there.
Gift teachers, administrator, janitors, bus drivers, crossing guards, etc. with a pair of scissors decorated with a tag that reads: “You’re a Cut Above the Rest!”

We hope this post has been helpful and that your backpack blessing is a wonderful time to celebrate the coming season and God’s faithfulness within it. Don’t forget to share with us what you’re doing to welcome the school year in the comments below!

And of course, if you’re still looking for a fun and creative new backpack tag to use, be sure to check out our newest “God’s Got Your Back” backpack tag! We also have last year’s tag still available, which says, “Blessed to Be a Blessing” (available in both English and Spanish). You can order your backpack tags below, and also browse through some photos from folks in our community who have used our tags!