Seeking Advice From Smarter Mothers Out There....

I have been thinking a lot the last couple of days about a couple of things. I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to teach my children the importance of gratitude. I want so much for my kids to go through out there lives with a grateful heart. I want them to feel grateful for the things that they have been given. I have noticed the comparison of "things" between children and truthfully between adults as well and it makes me sad. I want my kids to grow up feeling thankful for the things that they have and not feeling like they have been given what they are owed or that they don't have enough unless they have everything someone else has. I want them to grow up with "things" in their proper place. Not only do I want them to recognize the things that they have but I want them to be aware of services that have been given to them. There are soooo many people who do things for my kids. How do I teach them to recognize the things that are being done for them? In no way am I expecting to have perfect children or expect them to always have perfect gratitude but I do want to do my best to teach them to do their best.

I was looking up somethings on LDS.ORG and found this little story that touched my heart:

Elder A. Theodore Tuttle told of an experience of expressing gratitude he encountered while he was staying at a home during a stake conference visit:
“There sits a young man here today in whose home I was a guest at a stake conference. Since he had recently left for the Y [Brigham Young University], I was to sleep in his room Saturday night. As his gracious mother showed me the room, she opened his closet where I saw a handwritten letter taped to the rod in the closet. It read:
“Mom,
Thanks for all you’ve done to make this a ‘special summer.’ You are a very ‘special mother’ and I thank the Lord for the blessing of being your son.
I love you and appreciate all you do in my behalf. See you in November.
Paul.
“As she paused while I read it, she said, ‘Hope you don’t mind hanging your clothes out here. This note is still kind of precious. You know, every time I open this closet I read it again, and I would like to leave it there a little longer’ ” (What Kind of Thanks? Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [26 Nov. 1968], 5).

Another Example:

It is important that we offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving in our families. President N. Eldon Tanner was reminded of this principle by his daughter: “I was deeply touched one day following our family prayer when one of our little daughters said, ‘Daddy, I don’t think we ought to ask for more blessings. The Lord has been very good to us, but I do think we should ask him to help us to be worthy of the blessings we receive.’ Since then we have tried more diligently to express our gratitude to our Father in heaven” (Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God [1973], 159–60).

Obviously these mothers did something right - and I want to be like them. So I'm asking all you mothers out there who are so much smarter than me to help me. I would love your advice! If any of you have read any conference talks that could help me with this I would love to hear about them. Let me know what you think.........