Treasured Tradition
Around the table
In an effort to help encourage speech, language, communication and conversations with my daughter, we started a little tradition around our dinner table. It started with everyone taking a turn sharing three things that were good about their day. This proved to be a challenge with my daughter who has different abilities because she always shared about negative things that happened to her during the day. Wanting to encourage the positive, we started asking her to tell us three things she liked about a certain person, school, class, etc.
Related: Teaching Gratitude How to Teach Your Child Thankfulness [1]
Nightly Ritual becomes Treasured Tradition
This became a nightly ritual at our house, and since my daughter is a stickler on routines, it has become a family tradition. Now, whenever we are at any family dinner gathering with relatives, as soon as we sit down she starts’s asking… “can go around table…can we go around the table”? It took a little coaxing at first for great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends to join in, but, now everyone is on board. We have switched it up a little bit for birthdays. Family members or friends are asked to share what they appreciate, or a favorite memory, about the person that is having the birthday. It has become a fun tradition in our house; a time to stop, reflect and be grateful for the good in our lives. So, you can imagine what it’s like at Thanksgiving. Family members have now started writing down what they’re thankful and grateful for so that they can share. Although my daughter with different abilities does not always use the right words to express herself, the sentiments from her heart are easily understood. A word of caution: we no longer do this during the Thanksgiving dinner. We do it before or after the dinner because sometimes tears roll. What started out as us trying to incorporate speech therapy into our daily lives has become a treasured tradition in our house.
What are some of your family traditions for giving thanks?
Keep the kids busy coloring these inclusive coloring pages, that show children with physical and hidden disabilities as well as without disabilities.
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Helpful Articles
- Teaching Gratitude How to Teach Your Child Thankfulness [1]
- Thanksgiving: A Perfect Time to Learn How to Set the Table [4]
- Thanksgiving: Less Barriers, Love’s Bounty [5]
- INCLUSIVE COLORING PAGES [6]
- Reluctantly Related: 5 tips to help you be thankful, not resentful, this Holiday. [7]
- 8 Tips to prepare your family members with special needs for the Holiday Season? [8]
- Teaching Gratitude How to Teach Your Child Thankfulness [1]
- Socialize Successfully: A Few Simple Tips to Help You During the Holiday Season [9]
- Enjoy Your Holiday with Your Special Needs Child [10]
- Holiday Help Things I Found to Be Helpful! [11]
- Encourage Speech & Create Yum With These Recipes for Cooking With Kids [12]
- Inclusive Holiday Activities [13]