In this season of thankfulness, don’t forget to take time out of book learning in your homeschool to teach and show acts of appreciation. Fortunately, creating these acts of thankfulness doesn’t cost much money! Here are some of my favorites:

Write a handwritten note or a letter.

If you want to express yourself in the most meaningful way, do it in real life on a real piece of paper! Remember the days of getting a genuine thank you card in the mail? Nowadays, this form of communication is even more valuable as the frequency of this form of writing diminishes. Teach your children the value of writing and sending handwritten cards, and thank yous!

Write an original poem.

In the same way, handwritten cards and thank yous make the recipient feel appreciated; a heartfelt poetic rhyme can do the same. Don’t worry if the poem isn’t fancy or perfect. The recipient will still be delighted in the effort and surprised by your cleverness. You can do a simple rhyme or get fancy with your own Haikus.   

Give the gift of your time.

Time is a precious commodity! Nothing says, “I’m thankful for you” more than giving of your time. This gift doesn’t have to take the form of mega hours. Make it a point to keep whatever promise you make for spending time with your loved one. Whether it’s meeting at a specific time each week to play a game, helping a senior citizen, or being a “mommy’s helper” to a young mother, the gift of your time is invaluable!  

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Try drawing or painting a picture of thankfulness to give as a gift. Some quotes to include are:

“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”

“For me, every hour is grace. And I feel gratitude in my heart each time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile.”

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

“When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.”

Showing thankfulness doesn’t take much money. It will cost you time, and by sharing your time, you are showing those you care about just how important the people around you are to you. That is certainly a trait to teach in your homeschool and one that can help transform the world around us!

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