One of the most important things we can do as parents are teaching our kids gratitude. But you know what? It’s also one of the hardest! Kids aren’t born understanding how to feel empathy and appreciate the life we work hard to give them.
It’s a lesson we try to impart to them every single day. But despite our best efforts, they’re kids, and kids are going to be kids sometimes! Their brains are still developing, and they don’t always grasp these more complex ideas and lessons. So that means sometimes, we need to help them with some hard truths.
Like this single mother from Florida who teaches her ungrateful daughter, tough love…
Haley Hassell noticed that her 6-year-old daughter, Presleigh, was nervous since starting first grade. So as good moms do, she tried to make her feel better and thought she had the perfect remedy.
Presleigh was asking for a LOL-brand pencil box like the one other kids had in her class, so Haley decided to pick one up when she was out shopping for school supplies. Finally, after three stores she bought one as a surprise.
But she didn’t get the reaction she expected.
“Presleigh learned a tough love lesson today,” the mom wrote in a Facebook post. “I went to 3 different stores to get that LOL pencil box you see in the trash there. When I surprised her with it this afternoon (just knowing she would be ecstatic) she stared at it and threw it in the trash and slammed the bedroom door. She yelled ‘that’s stupid, everyone in my class has that..I don’t want it anymore!’ 🛑🤯🤔..WHHHHAT STOP COME AGAIN?”
The single mother added:
“Okay So by this time there was Probably smoke coming out of my ears, and I’m trying really hard not to completely lose it on this kid that I have worked so hard to completely take care of financially on my own & make sure she always gets what she needs and then some. BUT I thought I had always taught her to be grateful & know how lucky she was, but apparently, sis needed a small wake up call!!”
“SO before completely going Madea mad on my child I check myself and say, “okay that’s fine, let me go get the one you’re going to use”…came back with her new pencil box, which is the Ziploc bag. She lost her mind!”
She continued:
“Suddenly the LOL Box she just trashed was good enough, and the Ziploc bag was horrible…but it’s too late for all that. I told her to get the LOL out of the trash, and we would be finding a child to give it to tomorrow..one whose mommy and daddies don’t have money for any school supplies or someone who may not even have a mommy or daddy.”
“I explained to her she’s not entitled to anything special, and she is taking for granted how lucky she is…” the single mom said. “So for now, she will be using a Ziploc bag & will personally be delivering the nice box to a child that could benefit from it. Maybe I overreact sometimes, but I would’ve done anything to have all the things she does as a child.”
“I truly believe changing your perception & just being grateful can turn around any situation in life. #UngratefulnessDONTflyOverHere”
In a world where thousands of people are struggling to meet their basic needs, it’s essential for us not to turn gifts down no matter what their value is. Like Presleigh, most of us would wish to have the gift if someone took it from us.
Source: AWM