Bedtime Gratitude
Every year at Thanksgiving I get a bit emotional. I have so much to be thankful for year round, but it’s easiest to remember it when everyone else is talking about gratitude too. As a mom, I want to make sure that my son grows up appreciating all that he has too.
Earlier in the week—after the teeth-brushing and pottying, before the story reading, right at the beginning of cuddle time—I suggested to my son that we share with each other the things that we are grateful for. Of course, like any good almost-five-year-old, he asked me what exactly grateful is. I told him it’s a feeling of thankfulness, gladness, a warm or happy feeling you have because of something that you have in your life. We started out with just three things that first night, and took turns naming the things that we’re each grateful for. We’ve graduated to more things, just talking until it seems like we’re done for the night.
Here are our lists:
I wrote them down so I could visualize them, but that’s not even necessary. This was a really easy change to bed-time, and it felt awesome to do together. I went to bed happy and calm, and I think my son did too. It also occurs to me, this is a great way to make spirituality real without being too heavy for comprehension. This is officially my third favorite part of bedtime, only after the smooches and I-love-yous.
About Shaina Charron
Shaina Charron has lived in Rochester for 25 years. She is the mother of one four and a half year old little boy. She spends her days trying to gratefully fill her roles as a mom, daughter, sister, friend, student, and employee. In January 2010 she left a full-time job of two years in order to spend more time with her child and return to college. She is currently earning her Liberal Arts Associates Degree and planning a transfer to a four year school where she can study social work.
Shaina enjoys spending time with her family and their beloved pets, crafting, reading (her favorites are the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling), eating and cooking (mostly vegetarian, though occasionally gluten free and vegan as well), spending time with friends, and being outside in nature.
As a mother, she’s found breastfeeding, bed-sharing and gentle discipline to be the best fit for her child. She dreams about the beach in Florida, living in a cabin in the woods, and taking a cross country trip without any sort of time or financial restraints. She is looking forward to sharing her adventures with you.