Secret of Saying Thanks

Name: Secret of Saying Thanks
Author: Douglas Wood

A story that explores gratitude and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

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♥ This book teaches: Gratitude. noticing and appreciating what is already good.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: Someone who is grateful is thankful for people, nature, and things. Stewardship means taking good care of what we’ve been given. In short: Thankful for every blessing, big or small. Summary: “The heart that gives thanks is a happy one for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time…we don’t give thanks because we are happy, we are happy because we give thanks.” This is the secret of saying thanks that is hinted at throughout the book. Readers will resonate with the author’s examples of gratitude for the simple things in life that we sometimes take for granted. Lesson Objectives:

Students will learn to appreciate some of the simple pleasures of life, instead of taking them for granted.

Guiding Questions:

If someone says “don’t take things for granted,”what do they mean by that?
When you wake up tomorrow morning say, “thank you for the new day” 10 times! Does it make you feel happy?
The girl in the illustrations enjoys sitting under a tree and on a rock, just being quiet and enjoying what she sees. Is that something you like to do, and if so, where do you go to look at nature and what do you see?
Can you identify the names of any wild birds and other animals that live where you do? Do you like watching them?
Ask your parents if you can stay up at night so you can look at the stars and the moon. If they let you, make sure you say thank you to the sky!
What if you had to live in a box for a day and couldn’t see any of the beautiful things in nature, or be with the people you love? How would that make you feel?
“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.” What does this mean to you?
“We don’t give thanks because we are happy, we are happy because we give thanks.” What does this mean to you?
Next time you start to feel unhappy, try to think of one or two things for which you feel grateful. Then ask yourself if that makes you feel better.
Next time a friend or family member is unhappy, ask them to think of something for which they feel grateful. Then ask them if that makes them feel even a little bit better.

🌿 Virtue Connection: Gratitude means noticing and appreciating what is already good.

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.

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Gratitude · Family Discussion Guide

Secret of Saying Thanks

by Douglas Wood

Guiding Questions

Students will learn to appreciate some of the simple pleasures of life, instead of taking them for granted.

Guiding Questions:

If someone says “don’t take things for granted,”what do they mean by that?
When you wake up tomorrow morning say, “thank you for the new day” 10 times! Does it make you feel happy?
The girl in the illustrations enjoys sitting under a tree and on a rock, just being quiet and enjoying what she sees. Is that something you like to do, and if so, where do you go to look at nature and what do you see?
Can you identify the names of any wild birds and other animals that live where you do? Do you like watching them?
Ask your parents if you can stay up at night so you can look at the stars and the moon. If they let you, make sure you say thank you to the sky!
What if you had to live in a box for a day and couldn’t see any of the beautiful things in nature, or be with the people you love? How would that make you feel?
“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.” What does this mean to you?
“We don’t give thanks because we are happy, we are happy because we give thanks.” What does this mean to you?
Next time you start to feel unhappy, try to think of one or two things for which you feel grateful. Then ask yourself if that makes you feel better.
Next time a friend or family member is unhappy, ask them to think of something for which they feel grateful. Then ask them if that makes them feel even a little bit better.

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Secret of Saying Thanks

Guiding Questions for Parents.

About the Story.

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Secret of Saying Thanks

Guiding Questions