Gratitude

Good morning!

I have added a new read aloud to the Read Aloud page! It is a book called Last Stop on Market Street. I hope you enjoy the story of CJ and his Nana and the ability of CJ’s Nana to express gratitude and have a positive mindset.

In the story, CJ is wondering why they have to go to the soup kitchen and why they don’t have a car like others. As the story goes on, CJ becomes aware of and thankful for the good things that are happening in his life; instead of thinking about what he doesn’t have, he appreciates what he does have. Gratitude is a skill and we can all learn to look at life in a positive way.

The video below may help you further understand what it means to be grateful…

There’s even science that says we are happier when we express gratitude. Watch the gratitude experiment below…

Here are some ideas to get started running your own experiment at home…starting today!

• Start simple by just using your manners and saying please and thank you!
• Keep a gratitude journal, list or fill up a jar with everything you’re grateful for…or even just tell someone at the end of the day.
• Share things you appreciate about another person.
• Write a letter to someone who has touched your life in a positive way. Everyone loves getting real mail!
• Try to reword your complaint into something you appreciate instead and try to find the positive in a frustrating situation.
• Take a gratitude walk and look for the simple pleasures…the warmth of the sun, the beautiful flowers and blossoms, the pleasure you take in the person you’re walking with… 🙂

And this one here is a secret..hopefully your teachers didn’t read this far! Take the time to thank your teachers and let them know what you appreciate the most from them. ♥

Here’s one final reminder of gratitude in the times we find ourselves in now…

I am so grateful for all of you…keep seeing the positive and share that positive with others!

Mrs. H. 🙂