“Rebbi told us about hakaras hatov today!” my son tells me enthusiastically. “He went around the room, and everyone had to say something that they thank Hashem for.”
“Really?” I say. “What did you thank Hashem for?”
Without missing a beat, he answers, “That we had franks for lunch today!”
Okaaay, if that’s what gives him pleasure, kol hakavod…
The concept, though, is a great one. We know we’re supposed to thank Hashem for everything He gives us, and we know we want to teach our children to be thankful Jews, too—but how to do it?
A terrific way to start is by playing The Gratitude Game with them! Similar to the activity my son’s rebbi did with them, this game involves going around the table and having each participant list 5 things for which they are thankful to Hashem. Of course you can’t “double up” on someone else’s choices, and extra points go toward being creative with your listings! The point of all this is to make us aware of how many thousands of chassadim, both big and small, Hashem is doing for us on a constant basis. This, in turn, helps inculcate the feelings of gratitude and happiness within us.
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