“I am grateful for cameras,” said my 8-year old Tommy. At first, I was confused by his response but then I gave way to laughter as I realized why he was grateful for cameras.
You see earlier that week I had received a text from his teacher. Tommy was accidentally left behind on a field trip to the teacher’s home. Everyone had loaded up in the van and they thought they had Tommy but he didn’t make it back to the school.
She assured me that he was indeed safe. She could see him on her phone from her security cameras in her yard and she was on her way to get him. He was alone for maybe 20-30 mins.
Now before you go and judge the teacher you should know that I myself once left Tommy behind and have had several close calls since. He just seems to slip away undetected at the last moment.
When I picked Tommy up from school that day I asked him about the incident. He said he was busy picking raspberries and when he looked around he realized that he was the only one there. I asked him what he did while he waited for someone to come back for him. He said, “I prayed and cried.” Sweet little guy!
I told him that the teacher could see him safely waiting in her backyard because of her security cameras. He found peace in knowing that he was watched even when he was scared.
So that morning in the car when he said that he was grateful for cameras it all made sense. It also showed me that Tommy had begun to develop the skill at seeing the good even through the tough, at finding gratitude even when he was feeling uncomfortable and scared for a time.
Something I have done for several years to help instill gratitude in my six children is to do “gratitude shares” in the mornings on the way to school. This is where we go around the car to each person and they each state one thing they are grateful for that morning.
Mornings can be chaotic sometimes, they can be full of a myriad of emotions. I have found this gratitude practice helps to reset our focus and over time has helped my kids look for the light even in dark circumstances.
Do you have an intentional practice of expressing gratitude? Do you help your children to develop the skill of gratitude? Tell us about it in the comments! I have seen great gains from this little practice among my children AND I am grateful for it!
Give it a try!
Kerrie
