How to Include a Gratitude Practice in your Homeschool Morning Routine

If you’ve ever wondered how to include a gratitude practice in your homeschool, the answer is simpler than you think: one notebook, one pen, and one grateful thought before the coffee is done. Honestly, it’s too easy to spend the beginning of January contemplating how I want to change things, do things differently, write a resolution list, or live my best life in my morning routine.

Sure, I’ll write my yearly goals. But that’ll keep me going till, I dunno, the middle of January?

So instead, here’s how to include a gratitude practice in your homeschool morning routine (and how I do it in mine).

This year, I’m going to shift my journal priorities. In other words, rather than forcing my way through early January resolutions, I’ll remind myself what I’m already grateful for.

At first glance, journaling my gratitude each morning in a simple notebook doesn’t seem all that remarkable.

(What is remarkable is actually getting to it, writing in it, and getting downstairs without being interrupted.)

After all, I usually jump out of bed because of the kid noise coming from the kitchen. Or, just as often, I jump out of bed because I’ve got six hundred and fifty-seven things on my to-do list. So am I really supposed to sit with a notebook and pen and write my gratitudes first?

Why Include a Gratitude Practice in Your Homeschool?

I, a busy homeschool mama, with a busy household of busy kids, am supposed to stop and write my homeschool gratitudes?

Yes.

Do that.

As many mornings as you can.

Think of it as a practice in mindset, because:

• You want to enjoy your homeschool existence.
• You also want to enjoy your homeschool kids while you’ve got them.
• And you want to create memories that’ll last beyond a scrapbook, a digital file of photos, or a jammed iCloud.

In short, this morning practice trains you to think your thoughts the way you WANT to think them: by focusing on the good stuff and living gratefully.

Of course, there’s a caveat. Just because you write your morning gratitudes doesn’t mean you’ll feel grateful All.Day.Long.

(But you already knew that…)

Still, over time, research shows that writing down what you’re grateful for can increase your overall well-being. So do it like you shower every day. (I know, we might not be doing that every day either, but do it most days…)

How to Include a Gratitude Practice in Your Homeschool Morning Routine

If your mornings feel too chaotic for even five quiet minutes, start with How to Create an Energizing Homeschool Morning Routine. Then, once you’ve carved out a little space, stack your gratitude with Homeschool Mama Daily Affirmations or a few minutes of Breathwork for Homeschool Moms. Together, they take less time than scrolling your phone, and they set a very different tone for the day.

Want more practical tips for incorporating a gratitude practice? I share them here.

First, Find Out What’s Stealing Your Joy

Here’s the thing, though. Gratitude is hard to find when you’re running on empty. Before you add one more thing to your mornings, it helps to know what’s actually draining you.

That’s exactly why I created a free quiz: What’s Driving Your Homeschool Overwhelm? It only takes a few minutes, and your results point you to your next best step.

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16 Things I Include in My Homeschool Gratitude Practice

Now for the fun part. Here are sixteen things I’ve been grateful for lately. Feel free to borrow any of them as you start your own list.

1. Nature out my back door.

I have a fascination with trees. And girlfriend, I got myself some trees in these mountains.

Right now, I’m thankful for the snow globe flakes falling. Who shook my little globe?

We’ve had almost five feet in the last few weeks. In fact, the longer I live here, the more I commune outdoors.

I’m learning that respite should be taken inside, but life should be lived outside.

2. I’m grateful for my kiddos.

You knew I would mention them. Okay, too predictable. However, here’s why I’m grateful…

• I’m thankful for the strong one: she’s enabled me to stand stronger and be stronger.
• I’m thankful for the nurturing one: she doesn’t even know she does it when I need it most.
• And I’m thankful for the sassy one: she reminds me I’m not as smart as I think I am.
• I’m thankful for the strong, silent one: so young, yet so wise.

And for each of these kiddos, no matter how they evolve or what the stories of their lives may be, I am grateful.

3. Gardening.

Much like seeding in January, when you include a gratitude practice in your homeschool, small seeds grow into something over time.

As long as there’s no snow on the ground, I can find a reason to do some sort of gardening or landscaping outside.

For me, January is the beginning of the gardening season as I order seeds, buy potting soil, and start seeding.

No, not outside under the three-foot snowdrifts. Rather, in my greenhouse.

4. Butter and other stuff that comes from cows.

I’m with Julia Child: everything tastes better with butter.

5. Health issues that require change. 

On the other hand, I’ve also learned the creamy goodness of pureed cashews and nutritional yeast. Surprisingly, vegetarian-ish meals taste almost as good (just a bit different), and they even make my brain happier.

(Might I recommend the Oh She Glows cookbook?)

6. Writers.

I love me a good book. Have you read Emma Donaghue’s The Wonder? Okay, I love a lot of good books. I’ve always had a half dozen on the go. Entering the minds, the worlds, of new people, new places, and new ideas — I love books.

Naturally, I also love chatting about books: join me and the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective as we chat about homeschool encouraging books, our non-fiction reads and fiction reads, and even the books we’re reading with the kids in the Homeschool Mama Book Club, join us!

7. Writing.

There is nothing more creative in my world.

(Okay, well maybe home or garden design, planning my kids’ educations, or cooking (cooking is definitely creative)).

Writing expresses me.

This activity forces me to own myself. Writing clarifies my thoughts. I can create other worlds, and even some of my favourite people (fictional characters, not my kids, ha) were created by me.

Writing is something I fashion with my mind and my fingers. Like affirmations, which I write every morning (I share the details in the video below).

8. My life companion, my husband.

He’s the one who walks alongside the plot of my life and understands its themes.

Over the years, he has learned to love alongside me and to receive my best versions of love, the clunky attempts at love, and the just plain misses too.

He supports me in whatever I put my hands to do. Likewise, he’s my mirror when I’m thinking wrongly.

He’s the one I’m learning about love with.

9. A community of interesting characters.

My community: the minor characters, supporting cast, and antagonists too.

These people teach me, sharpen me, entertain me, inspire me, engage me.

Each person with a life story is unlike anything I could imagine. Like traveling to a new world, minus the travel expense and effort is listening to new people’s stories.

If you’re craving that kind of community for yourself, I’d love to see you at the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective. Truthfully, some of my favourite gratitude-list moments have happened there.

10. The colour blue.

I dunno, I just really like blue. Nature’s calm. Also, my entire house is painted blue (or white).

11. And the colour red.

A splash of red. Nature’s passion.

12. My health: a highly underrated gift.

Surrounded by stories of unhealth, we are ever reminded that health always deteriorates, eventually, or sometimes it disappears suddenly.

When we have it, we take it for granted. When we don’t, we realize it’s the biggest thing.

That, by the way, is the real reason to include a gratitude practice in your homeschool: it helps you notice the good stuff before it’s gone.

13. A God who sees.

• And who shares.
• Commiserates.
• And encourages.
• Requires truth in the innermost parts.
• Is always there.
• Knows the plans for us, ones to prosper us, not to harm us, ones to give us a future, and a hope.
• Always plants hope grows hope and sustains hope.

14. A God who sees, and grace on repeat.

A God who sees. And who shares. Commiserates. And encourages. Requires truth in the innermost parts. Is always there. Knows the plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a future and a hope. Always plants hope, grows hope, and sustains hope.

And grace and forgiveness. On repeat. As a result, I get to enjoy the freedom these spiritual practices bring.

14. Limits.

Limits make you thankful for what you have.

After all, the ceiling doesn’t need to be sky-high to enjoy the content in our lives. When we set our hearts to appreciate what we have, we settle into existing contentedly.

If we so choose.

(If your limits feel more like walls closing in, you might find 7 Ways to Find Quiet, Build Boundaries & Handle Overwhelm or How to Marie Kondo your Homeschool helpful.)

15. Cozy blankets, with cozy socks, Spotify playlists, and Sweet Georgia Browns.

Cause homeschool hygge…

16. Potential

Dreams. Wishing upon stars. Prayers. Believing.

So, How Do You Include a Gratitude Practice in Your Homeschool?

This year, I’m setting my mind on thinking Grateful Thoughts and reminding myself what is true. In the same way, I hope you’ll watch your thoughts so you can maintain gratefulness in your homeschool.

In other words, don’t just plan for what your next year could be. Instead, be grateful for what your life is right now.

So, here’s how to include a gratitude practice in your homeschool, step by step:

1. Keep it visible. Put your gratitude journal on the kitchen counter, right next to the coffee maker.
2. Keep it small. Write one thing you’re thankful for each morning while the coffee brews.
3. Invite the kids. Once your habit sticks, add a gratitude question to your morning basket or breakfast table. Remember, more is caught than taught.
4. Look back on hard days. When the day goes sideways, flip back through your pages. Your own words will remind you what’s true.

ps Coffee is definitely on my gratitude list.

A Gratitude Journal to Make It Easy

If you’d rather not start from a blank notebook, I made something for you. The Gratitude Journal for the Homeschool Mama gives you daily prompts, so you never have to wonder what to write. Simply open it, answer one prompt, and get on with your day.

Need More Than a Journal? Join the Homeschool Reset

Sometimes, though, gratitude isn’t the missing piece. Sometimes the whole routine needs a reset. If that’s you, come join me for the Homeschool Reset, a live workshop on Friday, October 30. Together, we’ll look at what’s draining you and build a rhythm you’ll actually be grateful for.

And if you’d like more personal support, I also offer one-on-one coaching.

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People often ask…

• How do you handle homeschool overwhelm?
• Gratitude Journal for the Homeschool Mama
• 6 Game-Changing Ways to Streamline your Homeschool Routines
• Empowering words for your new homeschool year
• Do you do one-on-one coaching? Why, yes I do!
• How can I join the Homeschool Mama Retreat?

Originally published April 15, 2021. Updated October 13, 2026