Well, happy Thanksgiving to you from all of us here at Focus on the Family, and as you are considering things you're thankful for, we're going to be sharing ways that you can show appreciation to your children.

And I'm John Fuller along with Dr. Danny Werther.

He's a professional counselor and leads our parenting department here.

We're going to hear a continued conversation now with Julie Lavender.

She's a mom and has creative tips for encouraging your children.

Here's Jim Daly.

You also used to gather calendars for your children. Now that's funny.

Why would you give your children?

I love to do that and I either purchased them or there's so many businesses that like to give

away free calendars because they have logos and stuff.

And I would start way back in, I don't know, maybe October and November, and after the kids would go

to bed on about 20 of the days of each month, I would either put a cute sticker, write a note, a love note.

On the calendar.

Actually on each day of the calendar.

Write a Bible verse, a note, just an encouragement.

I think you're great, I think you're wonderful. You're a good big brother.

You know just I would just sit and while my husband and I were watching TV I would just

write right right right. So it would take a while but this was just something I really enjoy doing.

And then that was their little New Year's Day present for each of them.

They each had their own calendar.

They would hang it in their room.

And most of my kids marked off each day. And it was my thought that if I had had a really busy day and I didn't remember anyway I had showed love to my children or even if I had lost my temper that day or had just had a bad day, then when they marked that day off on the calendar,

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