As the season of Thanksgiving surrounds us, it’s a good time to create a thankful home. One where gratitude is a way of living, not just something you say around a holiday table. Here are some ways to cultivate grateful hearts in every space of your home.

Gratitude is Caught, Not Taught

Thanksgiving is a “season” on our calendar but it shouldn’t be a season in our lives. It should be an active part of our Christian living.

As moms we have a unique opportunity to teach this to our children, not necessarily through our words but our actions. Children learn best through doing, and when we have little feet following along behind us everywhere we go, there is time to show them how to be grateful!

The Foundation: Why a Thankful Home Matters

Before we dive into the application, let’s take a minute to remember why we are doing this.

Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack, to what we have (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Thankfulness combats entitlement (Matthew 6:21)

A grateful heart protects against discontentment (Philippians 4:12-13)

Thanksgiving is a form of worship! (Psalm 100:4)

Grateful children become grateful adults (Psalm 78:4)

Now let’s dive into how we can create a thankful home, in each space!

LIVING ROOM: The Heart of Family Gathering

This is where your home gathers and spends time together. In my home, it is very multipurpose, we have toys, books, TV, dog bed and everything in between. Yours is probably the same.

It is definitely a place of abundance. My children have been blessed with activities and things to do, which is apparent with the daily disaster that our living room becomes!

How do we teach about thanksgiving in this space? Here are some ideas:

Have a gratitude wall or board

Make this part of your decor or an easy spot where you children can add pictures or things they are thankful for. It could be a white board or chalkboard to write on or just a designated area where they can put things they are grateful for.

This isn’t a dumping ground for toys when you don’t want to put them away (that’s what my children would do!) but instead a place where you really want to show God what you have been given and thank Him for it!

Do weekly “thoughts of gratitude”

Take 5 or 10 minutes every week to go through the living area and thank God for the things you have. Talk about the toys and furniture, discuss the latest games your children have been playing and say a little prayer of thanks.

This is where you can pull in your gratitude wall or board and talk about what was placed or written there!

Books that teach gratitude

Rotate the books in your living room, or add some that talk about gratitude. Remember it doesn’t have to be fancy, but the more you talk and read about it, the more children will absorb!

KITCHEN & DINING ROOM: Where We Gather to Eat

Another space in our home with abundance! Food from all corners of the earth, fresh produce, homemade cookies…whatever your kitchen consists of, God has given you what you need to sustain your physical bodies.

When we give thanks, it reminds our children (even our picky eaters like my three-year-old) that food doesn’t appear out of thin air. God blesses us with it and we should give thanks!

Gratitude tablecloth or placemat

Use a roll of parchment paper or other paper to cover your table with (or as a placemat) and get your children to write or draw the foods they are thankful for before they eat.

You can do this as your mealtime prayer or just an activity while they are waiting for their meal!

Recipe cards with gratitude

Write your favourite recipes on recipe cards and add the things you are thankful for. For example if the recipe is a traditional one, thank the people who handed it down to you.

If it’s something that uses an item you grow in your garden, thank God for that item.

If it’s something everyone enjoys, thank God for a meal everyone eats!

For more on how to teach biblical foundations through cooking, read Kids in the Kitchen!

BEDROOMS: Where Days Begin and End

The first and last moments of your day are spent in the bedroom. It should be a space of peace, but sometimes it becomes a place of anxiety and jealousy. We want our children to see their space as a place from God.

It is the perfect place to anchor your children in gratitude!

Morning Mercies

Wake your kids up in the morning with a scripture or song or a simple “thank you God for today!”

If your children are old enough to get up on their own, have a verse they can read as they get out of bed and remind them to say a small thank you to God for the new day.

Read more about creating morning routines HERE

Bedtime Gratitude

Have your children share 3 good things about the day before bed. You can do this before prayers (maybe include in your nighttime prayer) or after.

Encourage them to think of more than the obvious. Look for ways God blessed them or took care of them, or others!

Gratitude Journal

For your older children, encourage them to keep a gratitude journal beside their bed to record the things they are grateful for!

Prayer Pillowcase

Get a pillowcase and decorate it with scriptures. If you are good with thread and needle you can do embroidering but otherwise just use a fabric marker.

This pillowcase can serve two purposes. It can be a reminder of God’s blessings but also His protection. Use Psalm 4:8 as the anchor verse for this pillow and remind your children that they are never alone, even when they are sleeping!

BATHROOMS: Small Spaces, Big Impact

We spend a lot of time in the bathroom, and sometimes it is a space we take for granted. Running (hot!) water, a flush toilet and all the other necessities for keeping ourselves cleaned…it all lives in the bathroom.

It also is a space where we sometimes look at ourselves and feel jealous or frustrated because we don’t like what we see. Teach your children to see themselves as God sees them and to be thankful for the person God made them to be!

Mirror Message

Write a scripture or message on the bathroom mirror, reminding your family who God made them to be (and to be thankful for it!)

Bath Time Blessings

Take some time in the tub to ask your children what they are thankful for. Get them to list a few things and say some quick prayers of thanks while they soak!

ENTRYWAY: Coming and Going with Gratitude

The entrance of your home sets the tone. You want your family, and anyone else who comes in to know your space is a place for God. Your gratitude as you come and go sets the expectation for everyone who follows!

Welcome Sign

Place a welcome sign near the front door which includes a scripture (this is a good place for Joshua 24:15, but Psalm 107:1 would also be good!)

“Grateful to be Home” Routine

Have a little routine when you come home to say “Thank you God for bringing us home safely.” Get your kids to say this as they cross the threshold. Demonstrate it to them, and let it become part of your regular routine when you get home!

Blessing Before Leaving

Do a small blessing over your children before you head out the door. Touch their head or arm and say “May you see God’s goodness today and have a grateful heart” or something along those lines as you head out.

It doesn’t have to be long or drawn out. Just a simple reminder to your children before they leave that God is good and we need to seek His goodness in every moment of our day!

The Ripple Effect of a Grateful Home

Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect and your kids aren’t going to always be the thankful little people we expect. When we show God’s hand in our lives, slowly our children start to feel contentment in what they have.

It is a learning process and perhaps a slow release of consumerism, but over time your family will turn to joy and worship. A thankful home is a home that gives the praise to God, regardless of the situation. When we eat, sleep or play, we want to give Him glory.

Make your space a thankful home one small grateful moment at a time!

Ready for more? Check out these posts and resources:

Scriptures to Pray While Cleaning Your Home

Scriptures to Pray Over Your Home

Gifts and Gratitudes: A Year of 1000 Gifts (Guided Journal) by Ann Voskamp

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