Slaying The Dragon: Part III (& Giveaway!)

Our family has embarked on a journey from Ingrate-opolis to Gratitude-ville, in order to slay the terrible greed dragon that has taken my children captive. Our next stop along the trip, Routine-Valley seems to be the most difficult terrain. Breaking the vicious cycle of the gimmes and never enough mentality, is proving to be more difficult than I had speculated. This stop may take longer than I had planned and delay our arrival at Gratitude-ville, where we will financially adopt a child. For now, though, we are focusing on three new routines:

1. Cutting Out Frivolities: We have cut out our usual “Friday Fun Day” activities because it always ends up in whining for bigger and better events. We have cut out candy, as it has become a regular part of the kids’ diets, which isn’t healthy and is no longer considered a treat. Fast food stops have ceased unless deemed necessary by my husband and I. No more drives through Mc Donald’s for Happy Meals. The kids need to know what it feels like to be excited about an occasional Happy Meal, just as we did, as kids.

2. Managing Money: The money that our kids get from chores, lost teeth and birthdays, is now divided into three envelopes, instead of spent on needless items from the ice cream man. The categories are spending (50% of funds); saving (15% of funds) and tithe/charity (10% of funds.) This is done to instill a sense of responsibility and frugality.

3. Practicing Gratitude: We desperately need to get the kids into the habit of expressing thanks. Sure, they say “thank you” for things like gifts and treats. But gratitude for the everyday things, like meals and help with homework, has become extinct. I have been treated like a slave for too long and it is my own fault for enabling it. So we’ve decided to make a family piggy bank, into which we put a quarter every time we witness a grateful attitude form one of the kids. When the bank is full, we will use the money to treat the kids to a fun activity. It has really encouraged them to make thankful expressions a huge part of their conversational skills.

I encourage you all to get into the routine of practicing these three gratitude builders, in your own homes. It may take a few weeks before they become second nature, but it will be well worth the time and effort! Those of you who choose to join me on the journey to Gratitude-ville, please leave a comment in the comments section, for a chance to win a fabulous prize basket next Tuesday. The basket contains the books, It’s Not What You’ve Got, and The Giving Tree, a personalized family piggy bank, and some other fun little surprises! I will post a picture of the basket in next week’s post, “Slaying The Dragon: Part IV.” Good luck and happy travels!