What do you say?

My kids are like yours, I assume. They have no troubles asking for things. I have not needed to train them in that practice. They have always known how to ask and sometimes beg for me to give them things they want and need.

You know what drives me crazy? These kids of mine do not know gratitude as naturally as they know how to ask. It is embarrassing sometimes and irritating that we have to keep telling them to BE thankful for things they are given, and once they are grateful we have to teach them to EXPRESS that gratitude.

Our efforts to teach them to be grateful and to actually say thank you seems tireless. It can be irritating to have to ask, "Now what do you say?" after they are given something, no matter how small or large. It is not hard to say thank you, and it does not take that long to express your gratitude. Yet, my children seem to have a hard time being grateful and expressing thanks.

Then God spoke to my heart with a bit of tongue-in-cheek today.

"Yeah! It stinks when your children won't take a few minutes to express gratitude and thanks, huh PC?"