Parents: November Means Thanks(for)giving!

Parents: For us and our children, November is a special month.

(You know I couldn’t get midway through this month without writing something on my blog about Thanksgiving, right??)
 

 

 

Fellow dad blogger Almighty Dad wrote an interesting post about Thanksgiving and how it’s important for several reasons, in his opinion. He argues that ”there are exactly three things that make Thanksgiving special: family, food and cultural history.”

For me, Thanksgiving means exactly three things, as well:

1. Family

2. Family

3. Family

Kind of like how realtors love to say, Location! Location! Location!

Granted, we wouldn’t have Thanksgiving without the cultural history that sparked this holiday. And yes, I always look forward to the incredible feast that my family prepares for Turkey Day.

But the bottom line is that this holiday only means family to me. You see, it would still be Thanksgiving for me if I had no special meal before me. It would still be Thanksgiving without any lighted turkeys, Pilgrim decorations or parades. It would still be Thanksgiving if I had no roof over my head, no fancy car, no expensive clothes, and no money in my bank account.

As long as I have my family.

Material things don’t matter. We can’t take them with us when our time here expires. 

Family matters. Family is forever.

Breanna recently learned about how leaves change colors and fall to the ground during this season we call “Fall.” She excitedly told me about the color-changing process when I picked her up from school the other day. Naturally, the next thing she would learn about in school would be Thanksgiving.

Tonight, when she gave me a kiss and a hug and let me tuck her into her Big Girl Bed, our conversation went like this:

Hey!

Yes, sweetie?

Hey Daddy!

Yes?

Daddy!

Yes, Breanna? (she’s into this whole repetition of my name thing lately)

Daddy! Do you know what NOVEMBER means?

What does November mean, Bre-Bre?

November means Thanks For Giving!

Somehow she has managed to misunderstand the correct pronunciation of the word for our upcoming holiday, yet turn it into a phrase that completely embodies the essence of the whole thing. Thanks for giving.

They say it is better to give than to receive. Nowhere is that more true than when it comes to our families. Unfortunately, I feel like far too many parents have forgotten the importance of the giving of their time, their attention, and their compassion to their children. Parents are getting so wrapped up in themselves, their own to-do lists and their lofty career objectives that the kids are getting slighted. Why do there seem to be so many “bad kids” today? I say look at the parents.

My daughter told me that November means Thanks For Giving. I say every month means Thanks For Giving. Part of parenting is participation. A big part. Another part is sacrifice. Sacrifice your time for your kids. Sacrifice that song on the radio that you know they shouldn’t be listening to while they are in the car with you. Sacrifice that TV show you really want to watch but you know their young eyes should not be seeing while they sit with you in the living room. Keep giving to your children. Never stop.

And to those of you parents who know what I’m talking about: Thanks For Giving.

By the way, family is the whole reason I’ve created this dad blog. If you want to check out some other great dad blogs (proof positive that there are plenty of other dads out there who take pride in sharing their fatherhood experiences with the world like I do), here is a short list and a long list of dad blogs for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Tags: children, dad, dad blogs, daddy, daddy blogs, family, fatherhood, giving, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Turkey Day, kids, kids say the funniest things, NC blogs, North Carolina blogs, november, parenting, parenting blogs, parents, Raleigh bloggers, Raleigh blogs, selflessness, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving blog posts, toddler words, Turkey Day