Hanging on the wall in my office is a plaque I received back in 1975. The now yellowed and worn certificate was given to me by one of the first groups of teens I counseled … and it simply says, “Thanks for caring.” To this day, it remains one of my most prized possessions.

Hi, I’m Mark Gregston … with Parenting Today’s Teens.

That plaque is a regular reminder that there’s no such thing as too much gratitude. But we seldom hear those encouraging words from our kids.

When was the last time you heard, “Hey, Dad, thanks for helping me with my school project.” Or, “Thanks so much for dinner, Mom. It was delicious!”

Well, we can’t exactly demand gratitude. But we can model it. So this Thanksgiving, and in the year to come, let’s live in a way that shows what it means to be thankful.