211: Teaching Our Kids About Contentment and Gratitude with Rachel Cruze
Dec 7, 2023
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Rachel Cruze, author of the children's book, I'm Glad for What I Have, discusses teaching kids about contentment and gratitude. They share strategies and routines to cultivate these values as a family, including setting boundaries and experiential learning. They also emphasize the importance of conversations about comparing possessions, debt, and living below means. The podcast explores the impact of gratitude practices and a book that promotes happiness beyond material possessions through faith and God's love.
Teaching kids about gratitude and contentment involves having conversations about true fulfillment beyond material possessions and being role models of contentment and gratitude.
During the holiday season, parents can resist consumerism and prioritize teaching values of contentment by setting boundaries, avoiding comparison, and finding joy in moments and experiences rather than material gifts.
Deep dives
Teaching Kids About Contentment and Gratitude
Teaching kids about contentment and gratitude is the focus of this podcast episode. The host discusses the importance of having conversations with kids about the true sources of fulfillment and the role of stuff in our lives. The guest, Rachel Cruz, who has written a children's book on contentment, shares insights on how to teach kids about finding joy beyond material possessions. They emphasize the importance of being role models of contentment and gratitude and suggest practical strategies such as setting boundaries around spending, practicing gratitude as a family, and celebrating others' blessings. Overall, the episode encourages parents to prioritize teaching valuable life lessons to their children and fostering a sense of gratitude and contentment.
Navigating the Consumerism of the Holiday Season
The podcast episode also addresses the challenges of consumerism during the holiday season. The hosts discuss how parents can resist the pressure to measure up to others and focus on giving their children the best gifts. They emphasize the importance of setting realistic boundaries and budgets, avoiding comparison, and finding joy in the moments and experiences rather than solely in material gifts. The conversation encourages parents to prioritize their family's values and create a norm of contentment, even during special occasions, while still making holidays magical and memorable for their kids.
Instilling Contentment in Kids Through Gratitude Practices
The episode highlights the significance of teaching kids gratitude and its connection to contentment. The hosts suggest incorporating gratitude practices into daily routines, such as discussing highs and lows during family meals and expressing thanks for everyday blessings. They discuss how gratitude can positively impact overall happiness and contentment, not just for children but also for adults. The episode emphasizes the importance of modeling gratitude and manners as parents, in order to instill these values in children from a young age. Overall, the conversation underscores the benefits of gratitude practices in fostering contentment.
Simplifying and Organizing to Cultivate Contentment
The hosts touch upon the relationship between organization, simplification, and cultivating contentment. They discuss the impact of having organized spaces, such as bathroom drawers, on creating a sense of peace and control. Simplifying and decluttering areas of life, including material possessions, can contribute to a more content mindset. The conversation highlights the value of maintaining a baseline norm of living below one's means, and occasionally embracing special events or abnormal occasions as opportunities for indulgence. By simplifying and organizing various aspects of life, individuals can foster contentment and remove the focus on external belongings.
Today I am honored to have Rachel Cruze on the show to help us find effective ways to teach our kids about gratitude and contentment, especially in the midst of this holiday season.
Rachel recently wrote a children's book, I'm Glad for What I Have, which features a simple story that can be a catalyst for having the conversation with our kids about what truly fulfills us in life (spoiler alert: it's not material things).
Rachel shares different strategies and routines we can implement into our daily life to help build contentment and gratitude as an entire family. We also talk about having conversations with our kids about comparing what we have to others, along with so much more. I felt so inspired by this conversation, and I know you will, too!
Links:
My previous conversation with Rachel on Minimal-ish
