Every year, right around Thanksgiving, we get our gratitude speeches ready. Talking to our children about being thoughtful and appreciative of the gifts they’ve been given is an important tradition, one we hope our families never outgrow. It’s a time to think deeply about togetherness and the qualities this brings out in each of us. While sitting around the table and passing around food, the thing we wish for every year is that our kids see the love we put into this holiday and every day in general. We want them to be grateful because gratitude is a cornerstone of both goodness and happiness, and what more could we ask for them?
Here’s something, however, that escapes us sometimes. How often do we ask ourselves if we are grateful enough? Do we think about how lucky we are to live our lives and raise the children we have? Thanksgiving is a time for us, too, to reflect on this appreciation and find ways to integrate it into our lives. One way to do this is through what seems like a simple parenting decision— dressing your child in Elephantito, especially on Thanksgiving day.
“Dressing up” serves a real purpose, even if our instinct is to think it is superficial. It shows respect for the occasion, marking it as different from other days of the year. It reminds us that it is a day for making memories, because we always like to remember ourselves looking our best. That’s because caring—about anything or anyone, including yourself— is one way to show appreciation for what you have. And the same goes for our children, too. We love their joy, sense of freedom, and all the ways in which they change, grow, and surprise us. We’re grateful to give our lives to them and we show them that by always giving them the best we can (and with Elephantito’s pricing, we make the best accessible to every parent out there). When we dress our child up in quality clothing, we crystallize them one at moment forever, create a memory to hold onto as they grow another inch, age another year. It says to them: you’re worth it. It says to them: we want you to carry this day, this dinner, in your hearts forever. It says: we hope you appreciate us— and everything— too.