Not Another Thanksgiving Post

You've read the posts that tell you to be thankful. This isn't that.

You could make a list of what you're thankful for in ten seconds. You know what it's like to feel thankful. But feeling it isn't the same as passing it on. Gratitude is a seed, and you're the one who plants it.

Your kids are growing up in a consumer culture that shapes how they see themselves and the world. Every scroll on their phone is built to put a package on your doorstep. Every post they make is measured by a ❤️ or 👍, or the lack of one. More stuff. More experiences. More attention. The message is relentless: What you have isn't enough. And eventually, they may begin to believe that who they are isn't enough, either. 

While gratitude must be intentionally sown into a child, the weeds of entitlement and materialism grow by default in a culture of consumerism.

🧠 What the Research Shows

A University of Illinois researcher says that materialism is generally a response to insecurity, and that by the time a child is 7 or 8, those values are already developing. He calls gratitude "almost like an antidote to materialism." In a study of more than 900 adolescents, teens who kept a gratitude journal became less materialistic and more generous.

Gratitude is more than a feeling. It's a value that shapes how we live. Gratitude shifts a family's focus from what we don't have to what we do, and turns what we have into enough.

This Thanksgiving, don’t settle for feeling grateful. Plant gratitude in your family. Here are three simple things you can do:

1. Be an Example:  Say "thank you" on purpose, not out of habit. Acknowledge kindness between siblings. Recognize the person who set the table. Thank a guest for coming. These simple moments show your kids what gratitude looks like, and your example compounds over time.

2. Express Your Gratitude:  Tell each child specifically why you're grateful for them, not just for what they've accomplished, but for who they are. Take it a step further and write it down. Give each child their note at some point during the day. It becomes a tribute they can keep, and a model of how to express gratitude for others.

3. Embed Thanks-Giving in Your Holiday: The name of the holiday tells us what to focus on. But between the food and football, gratitude gets overlooked, or we assume everyone already knows. Traditions create identity, so build one around gratitude. In our family, Thanksgiving begins the night before, at a worship service, thanking God first. Your tradition can be as simple as asking each person to share, before the meal, what they're thankful for from the past year.

When gratitude is planted in the heart of a child, one day they'll be thankful for everything in their life, including you. 🦃 Start planting before Thanksgiving. Download A Dad's Playbook for Thanksgiving for more ideas to make this year count:

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About the Author

Jeff Hamilton is the founder of Dad Academy® and author of Dad Academy: Raising Courageous, Capable, Confident Kids. For more than 30 years, he has helped fathers move from intention to action, building stronger families and more connected communities. His work through Dad Academy combines timeless principles, credible research, and practical tools to help fathers lead with clarity, parent on purpose, and leave a lasting legacy.

Equipping Fathers. Building Legacies.

About Dad Academy®

Dad Academy® exists to help fathers parent on purpose.

We believe a father’s mission is to pass on his values and his skills so his children are prepared for life.

Through practical tools, timeless principles, credible research, and ancient wisdom, we equip dads to clarify their values, teach essential life skills, shape a healthy family culture, and build a lasting legacy.

Since 2015, Dad Academy has helped fathers move from good intentions to intentional action by giving them the clarity, confidence, and practical plan to become the dad they want to be.