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The saints are marching in, the Pilgrims are landing, and its time for a royal feast: not only on the fourth Thursday--Thanksgiving--but also on the last Sunday of the month--the feast of Christ the King. November is a ripe harvest of days for family gatherings and giving thanks.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Just "telling" children is never as effective as showing them--and then helping them learn to do it for themselves. Working alone is sometimes much easier, but working together teaches--and can be more fun too. Be thankful this month that we are all lifelong teachers AND learners.
The day after Halloween is a dull day because everybody is suffering from sugar overload. But it is a holy day so be sure to gather the family to go to church. On the way there or back, start a discussion about what a saint is and what "saints" you have known: a revered relative, a devoted neighbor, a special friend. It will be interesting to see who the children think of as modern saints.
The secret of a good marriage is continuing to believe that the other will do better tomorrow.
Room for One More. Some families make it a tradition to always invite one or more extra guests to share in their Thanksgiving, someone who is alone or lonely, a foreign student studying in this country, a military trainee, someone who has no relatives nearby, or someone who would just be fun to have around.
Adopt-a-Couple. Some families make it a tradition to choose one elderly couple or one newly married couple alone in a new city and include them in all of their holiday celebrations, making them "adopted" members of the family.
Since this is the month when we think about giving thanks, you might start a house rule about saying thanks when someone gives you a present. Very polite and perfectly normal children today seem to have great difficulty writing a thank you note or even making a thank you phone call for gifts received. A good rule to make is this: When you receive a gift, you can't wear it, use it, spend it, or play with it until you have written a thank you note. Post the rule on the refrigerator and talk about the importance of gratitude and thoughtfulness. And one the rule is made, enforce it.
Surprise! Occasionally add a surprise to a child's or a spouse's lunch box or bag: a funny card, a cartoon, a note saying "I'll miss you today," or "Good luck on the math test," or "Say a little prayer for me today and I'll say one for you."
On My Word. Be careful what promises you make. Once you make a promise, it is very important for you to keep it, especially when the promise was made to a child or a spouse.
Kid Wisdom: "If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse."
We all know that November is time to think about the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock so this is the hour to talk about the Mayflower. Here are some facts to discuss with the kids this month: The Mayflower set sail from England in September 1620 and finally landed at Plymouth Rock over two months later. A two-month sea voyage might be fun today, but is was very dangerous sailing back then with no radio or signal for help and no helicopters to come to the rescue. Because of the danger, two ships usually sailed together but the tiny Mayflower sailed alone--a small ship on a big ocean. Would you have been afraid? Would you have prayed? It was very crowed. On this tiny ship, there were 102 people (including 32 children) plus the captain and a crew of about 26 men. No one had expected the ship to be so crowded. Some of the passengers had planned to sail on a different ship but it leaked, so they were added to the Mayflower passengers. Would you have hated to be so crowded?
It was very scary. Since the ship was made the wood, everyone was afraid of a fire on board. When the sea was calm, they cooked food in metal boxes filled with sand; but if there was wind, they ate cold food. Would you have been afraid of fire or more afraid of eating bad food?
It was very dirty and they had very bad weather. No one could take a bath or change clothes. Because of the stormy weather, the ship rocked and rolled and passengers got seasick. Would you have gotten sick and tired of this trip and wished you had stayed home?
After discussing the Mayflower, say a prayer of thanksgiving for our brave forefathers and foremothers, and pray that you will be as brave when you sail forth into the unknown future.
In the United States, we take a day off on the fourth Thursday of November to give thanks for the harvest, for our family, for God's blessings. This celebrations began way back with the Pilgrims, but it didn't become a national holiday until 1863. And it only happened then because of a lady named Sara Josepha Hale. She was one of the country's first lady editors, beginning with Ladies Magazine in Boston and then Godey's Lady's Book in Philadelphia. She wrote editorials for forty years urging that, as a nation, we set aside a certain day for all to give thanks. Finally, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving proclamation, and we've been giving thanks together in November ever since. Something that might be even more interesting to the children is the fact that Sara Hale also wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb." If you are having guests for Thanksgiving the kids might get a kick out of singing this song and then telling the guests about Sara. They also might like to make up a special blessing to be said before the Thanksgiving feast. You could help them with this, but they might make up a great prayer all on their own.
Winter Wonderland. For an easy winter centerpiece, buy some coarse sea salt (you can find it in the grocer's spice section with the table salt and pepper), and put it in a low, clear glass dish. Set white votive candles on top of the salt to make an inexpensive fire-and-ice centerpiece.
Cinderella Time. When a little girl in your family has a birthday or any special day to celebrate make a princess cake. Just bake a packaged Bundt cake according to the directions. Unmold and set on a serving plate. Put a 10-or 12-inch doll in the hole in the center of the cake. Frost the cake and add splashes of colored sugar to make it look like a ball gown.
This is the time of year to feed the birds, so during the Thanksgiving holiday the kids could make their own bird feeders. Since it's also the time of year for pine cones, take a pine cone and firmly attach a string to the top with a loop long enough to hang it from a tree. Spread the pine cone with peanut butter, and then roll it in birdseed or sunflower seeds which will stick to the peanut butter. Hand the cones outside, and watch the birds flock to eat. Talk about how God must have made birds to decorate the sky.
When you're talking to a friend and know your child is nearby, brag a bit about something good that your child has done or some talent he or she has, loud enough so the child will "accidentally" overhear you. Kids like to hear good things about themselves but don't like to be embarrassed by your making a big thing of it when they are present.
