Friday, February 12, 2016

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World - review

From the time we are little, we are prompted to say, “Thank you.”  Gratefulness never comes easy. We want, we get, and we want more, never mumbling a word of thanks.  It's as if we assume that what we get is ours simply because we are.
I recently read the book, Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World – How one Family Learned that Saying No Can Lead to Life’s Biggest Yes.  I was surprised how many others felt a similar nudge of conviction or at least curiosity before even opening the book.
We all act entitled.  We deserve the best, latest, most beautiful things.  Our phones only last so long before we are yearning for the newest update.   Clothes go out of style as quickly as the tides.  We center our goals on how to accumulate it all.  My kids watch how I choose.  Raising grateful kids is going to have to begin with me.
Kristen Welch, blogger of We are THAT family attacks this infectious attitude in her book.
The book itself was an easy read, despite a convicting topic.  I finished the book in two days (which is saying something having six kids at home).  I did feel, however, that she rambled a bit.  It one wants a bullet point list of the main ideas, sorry, I cannot produce it.
She presented her points along with family examples which lead to her readability.  I could relate.
Welch starts with the heart which I agree with completely.  We will never be able to deal with our selfish attitudes or our kids’ attitudes unless we address the sin settled in our hearts.  Take one look at the news, read the Yahoo headlines, or walk down the halls of your closest school, and you will see what I am talking about.
Raising Grateful Kids breaks neatly into four major points:  Launch, Undertow, Resisting the Current, and White Water.  As you work through each, Welch uses Biblical truth and personal examples to expound.  Knowing  that gratefulness is countercultural she gives simple ideas to practice at the end of each chapter.  The “Going Against the Flow” sections address all ages:  parents, toddler/preschoolers, elementary, and tweens/teens.
None of her ideas, though not earth shattering, is without truth and conviction.  Simply taking a look at our present culture, one would wish that every person would take a good long look our faulty entitlement.
We will be electing a new President this year.  Promises will be made to provide the world to most everyone.  No one wants to be told they will have to work hard.  No one wants to take responsibility for anything.  No one wants to admit that maybe, just maybe it is not the government’s responsibility to provide all my wants.
As Welch reminds us, being willing to wait for something, readjusting our world view to begin with God and not end with us,  and practicing faithfulness with what we already have is where we need to start.
Raising Grateful Kids is a good read for parents with kids of all ages.  Be prepared as a parent to begin the process of change.

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