Homeschool Lesson For Mom: Cultivating a Thankful Mindset

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

How are you doing these days, Homeschool Mom?

Homeschooling is never easy, but as our world has gotten increasingly more uncertain, depressing, unstable, and expensive (!!) over the past few years, the days can be difficult and you can find yourself in a pit of despair on a daily basis if you don't have a solution to combat it.  I have found myself in this pit many days, especially when I was not connecting with other Godly-minded women to speak life into me and get me out of my own head.

Live is just full of hard times, and if we live long enough, we will be the brunt of some extremely difficult circumstances at one point or another.  Whether is is relationship issues, financial troubles, sickness, or heartache over a lost loved one, we have to have a mindset of thankfulness to keep us out of the spiral of hopelessness!  

So...how DO we keep a heart of gratitude in all circumstances?

The Bible tells us to be thankful for EVERYTHING. Yes! Everything!  Have you ever been around little kids when they are learning to pray?  They thank God for everything...

"Thank you God for my spiderman." 

"Thank you God for my chicken nugget."

"Thank you God for my dog's ear."

They literally thank God for everything, and their prayers go on forever. 

This is really how we should pray -- like a child. "Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances..." as 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 tells us.

I was out doing my daily walk one Monday morning and finding myself in a funk. I was talking to God along the way -- probably complaining -- and he really presented this object lesson to me.  As I was walking the bridge by my house where he and I would often meet, I was noticing the multiple droppings of bird poop along the of the bridge that day.  Ridiculous amounts of poop.  Much more than usual.  All sizes and colors. Some piles had seeds.  Some piles contained berries.  Why was there so much poop today?!? I was initially a bit grossed out by it, but then really just started thinking and pondering about the benefits of poop and noticing all the different kinds that were sprinkled along the way! ha! I found myself thinking about how God made everything to poop --  what was the purpose? Why do birds poop SO MUCH?  Yes, I am really talking about poop and a thankful mindset. Stick with me for a minute and let's take a deep dive on this topic.

Some interesting varieties of bird poop!💩 

As a mom, we definitely know the benefits of poop, right? When my kids were little and we had a puppy, one of my main jobs was Poop Patrol.  Did everyone poop today? What was the poop like? What was the color? What's the consistency? Are they well? Are they sick? How many little action figures has our puppy, Rosie eaten today?

Checking poop is a way of monitoring the health and wellness of our bodies, and I never really thought about it much until I became a mom and a puppy owner.  I never realized how important it was until I would get a terrible head cold and not have to ability to sniff it out in the house to see who had filled their diaper or if Rosie had had an accident in a corner somewhere. As a mom, it's important to have this indicator to monitor how everyone's doing!  Poop is important, and I was thankful for poop as a young mom.

Now back to the bird poop. In my funk that day, I found myself being THANKFUL for bird poop because they eat seeds and berries that need to be spread all over the earth to keep plants and trees growing, right? Bird poop can also beneficial for soil and compost piles, which can help fruits and vegetables grow to feed the inhabitants of the earth. Bird poop is actually amazing!  They are saving the earth with their poop. :) I have really come to marvel at how God has set up this entire digestive system to give us indicators of health and create an entire sustainable ecosystem of POOP!  So on this walk, yes, God was showing me I have lots to be thankful for, and when I can't even think of anything to thank him for in my bad mood, I can be thankful for poop!😂

Now, I'm not telling you that the secret to gratitude is to be thankful for poop, but when we find ourselves in a funk, there is always something to be thankful for. For me, that goes hand-in-hand with learning about God and his world and his character, the more we know about Him, the more we can thank Him for.  

Here are 3 ways you can grow a thankful mindset in your homeschool days, Mama, (and help your children cultivate one as well):

Homeschool Lesson for Mom No. 1: Learn about the world from a biblical point of view.

In our homeschool, we used history and science curriculum that were taught from a biblical point of view, which made all the difference in our knowledge of the subject. When we learn that God is behind and in charge of every single planet, event, person, animal, insect, and cell in this entire universe, it helps us understand that we can be thankful for His hand in everything and how He keeps everything together -- even if things are not always going our way. Learning about the world through the lens of the Bible has been the most impactful way God has grown my faith and thankfulness in my life, and it came from learning about history and science from biblically based curriculum in our homeschool.

Homeschool Lesson for Mom No. 2 : Spend time in the world noticing His goodness.

When my kids were little, I began getting up early in the mornings and taking walks to have a little alone time and clear my head before taking on the day.  I would find that as I would walk in the mornings, I was noticing God's goodness, just in the little things every day -- that same bird that I would see every morning, the flowers in the neighborhood that would bloom certain times of the year, the dew on the spider webs in the mornings, even the baby gators on the bank of the pond in the park every spring. Just little things that I was able to appreciate and thank God for because I was alone and tuned into Him first thing in the day. It became my favorite time of day where He would talk to me, and it still is.  Every day I am thankful to see the birds leaving their roosting spots again to go get breakfast at sunrise -- if he provides so regularly for them, how much more will he provide for me? All of his promises are yes and amen and his mercies are new each morning.  So much to be thankful for in his wonderful creation -- he has made so very much for us to enjoy.  It's hard to complain or stay in a bad mood where there is so much beauty to behold, so get out into the world and enjoy it!

a spider web covered in dew and flowers from my morning walks

Homeschool Lesson for Mom No. 3: Teach these truths to your children along the way.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."  We are to talk about God's goodness all the time and tell our kids about it.  Tell our kids that we can be thankful for poop?  Absolutely! Thankful for spiderwebs? Yes! Thankful that the tides move to and fro each day, cleaning the water for us? Yes! Teach about God's beautiful world and how he is taking care of us every single second with the systems he has put in place.🙌

Conclusion: There is so much to be thankful for!

This time of year can be hard on moms physically, emotionally, and spiritually...with extra duties, cooking, entertaining, gift buying, cleaning, etc -- plus all of the memories of loved ones no longer with us and the pressing realization that time is passing so quickly. However, there is still so much to be thankful for, even in the most basic, mundane things.💩 We just have to look for it and change our mindset! (I bet you'll never think of poop the same way again! ha!)

What resonates most with you and how can we help you apply it to your homeschool days? We are here to help you make your days easier and more enjoyable. We encourage you to prayerfully consider the following support systems for your homeschool: The Homeschool Well Community, The Homeschool Well 1:1 Coaching 

We pray this blesses you!

Be encouraged,

Jenny

This article was written with care by Kim & Jenny. No AI invited.😜❤️️

👓Other articles you may find interesting!

Know Your Why: Choosing What to Teach In Your Homeschool

Choosing Homeschool Science Curriculum

How & Why To Add Scripture Memorization to Homeschool Plans

✨Want free resources? Check out our store!

https://www.thehomeschoolwell.com/store