RAD and Thankfulness

A Powerful Tool to Build Thankfulness

Did you know the exact opposite of anxiety is gratitude!? What a healing salve thankfulness is for the heart and the brain! Why do we focus on it one day a year? Let’s crank it up a notch and do it daily.

My children did a “feelings journal” in the mornings. ( 5 pieces of computer paper folded in half and stapled for the week) that included 3 feelings they had yesterday, how much they felt it and what it was about. The lower section of each page was a list of 5 things they were thankful for. It is a simple but powerful tool that only takes a few minutes. The little ones drew a picture about the worst and best thing that happened yesterday then I wrote word for word what they said as they described it. It made them feel heard, listened to and showed that I thought their feelings and gratitude were important enough to invest my time. There was no correction or judgement about the journals. Effort was praised, and NO Lectures were given about their feelings. I read them at night so I had time to ruminate and so they saw no inappropriate reaction from me. It became a safe place for each child to focus on and sort out emotions. 

Five Things I Am Thankful For?

• Parents who love the unloveable so a child has a chance to heal.
• Mothers who have so much heart they open their arms to little ones who need a home.
• Fathers who stand beside their weary wives to fight for their traumatized children’s healing.
• Families who have reached the end of their hope and finances and try one more time
• The cutest cowboy in the world
• Great friends and family that love me ( Okay so that’s 6! I can’t help it!)

Thank you for taking the time to read because you care about a special needs child!

I am thankful for YOU!

We can make a difference, Nancy

Photo by Katerina Holmes