Last month the Boy Scout Troup my 13 year old grandson belongs to had a fund raiser. He asked me to donate, and I gladly sent it to him. He has not indicated to me whether he received my donation nor has he expressed any thankfulness for it. How do I explain to him that he should be thankful for this gift in such a way that doesn’t seem like I’m placing a guilt trip on him. I want to make my point in a loving way so that he learns from this. As it says in Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.
He might have said thanks when you agreed to send the donation, or maybe he just forgot. Kids do this all the time, just as we also forget to thank the Lord for things He does for us. To remind your grandson, just ask him if he received your donation. If that doesn’t prompt a thank you remember that forced gratitude is just lip service. It doesn’t mean anything. You may teach him to say thanks but you can’t make him feel thankful. The best way for him to learn that is by observing the adults around him expressing their sincere gratitude for the things they receive.