If You Need a Little Gratitude Reset...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the U.S., and I know this week brings mixed emotions. Some of you are traveling, some are celebrating, some are juggling tricky family dynamics, and some are just trying to keep everyone healthy and fed.

So I wanted to offer you something simple: a quiet moment before the holiday.

In our home, we don’t personally celebrate Thanksgiving for the historical reasons. Instead, we’ve made it a day centered around gratitude, reflection, and connection. No pressure. No big expectations. Just noticing the good where we can find it.

And because this community means so much to me, today felt like the right time to talk about gratitude in a way that feels real and doable.

What gratitude really is and what it isn’t

Gratitude is simply recognizing, embracing, and acknowledging the good around us, people, moments, or things, big or small.

It’s not a trait you’re born with. It’s a practice.

And when you practice it, even in small ways, it can steady your mood, lower stress, and help you feel more connected. There’s real science behind that. Gratitude activates serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin pathways that support calm and closeness.

And since we’re talking about science, let me add the part that matters most to me. Gratitude has carried me through some of the hardest chapters of my life. After both of my babies were born, I ended up hospitalized. Those days were scary and disorienting. I wasn’t grateful to be there. No one would be. But in the middle of that chaos, my brain kept reaching for tiny things that helped me feel human again.

The first time I was allowed outside for a few minutes.
The nurse who gently bathed me when I didn’t have the strength. 
The Uber Eats meals my friends sent that made me feel cared for.

Those small moments didn’t erase what was happening, but they gave my mind a foothold. And that’s the real power of gratitude. It helps your brain stay connected to what is steady and safe, even when everything else feels shaky.

Science backs this up. When you notice something good, your brain lights up the circuits that support mental health and resiliency. It quiets the alarm bells just enough so you can take the next step. Gratitude doesn’t replace coping, but it strengthens your ability to cope. And for me, it turned some of the darkest days into days I could move through instead of freeze in.

That’s why I believe in this practice so deeply.

But let’s be honest, gratitude can feel heavy when life already feels heavy.

So let me be clear:

Practicing gratitude is not pretending everything is fine.
It’s not forcing yourself to push away the hard parts.
It’s not ignoring illness, postpartum anxiety, financial stress, milestone worries, or the mental load that stacks up in parenthood.

True gratitude has two simple steps:

1. Acknowledge the hard.

2. Then find one small thing, anything, that brings a moment of peace or grounding.

You don’t have to be cheerful. You don’t have to “look on the bright side.” You can feel grief, fatigue, annoyance, or worry and still notice something that made you smile.

This matters even more in parenthood, where the negativity spiral can show up fast. From back-to-back illnesses to sleep loss to long days, it’s easy for your brain to scan for “what’s wrong.”

Gratitude shifts that scan, even if only a little. It reminds your brain that more than one thing can be true at the same time.

Practicing gratitude with our kids in ways that feel natural

Kids don’t learn gratitude because we tell them to “be grateful.” They learn gratitude the same way they learn empathy, by feeling it around them and hearing it in real-life moments.

Here are a few ways to build gratitude at home:

Explain it in kid language.

From my gratitude jar reel, here’s the line I use with preschoolers:

“Gratitude is something or someone that made you feel happy or made you smile.”

Then ask:

Simple and concrete for growing brains.

We did this only yesterday where Ryaan reminded me that we didn’t say what we’re grateful for. And it was a beautiful reminder that they too are also listening. 

Vera is now involved too and she verbalizes the cutest simplest things- “I’m grateful for green bean!” Yes, get it girl! 

Say your gratitude out loud where your kids can hear it.

Not in a grand way, just woven in:

Kids soak this in. And it helps them build an internal sense of gratitude based on connection, not pressure.

Use hard days to show them what gratitude can look like.

Not by pretending everything is fine, but by showing the mix:

This teaches kids that feelings can sit side by side, and that gratitude isn’t about earning anything.

Try a gratitude ritual kids can join.

Two of my favorites:

1. Gratitude Jar

If you saw my reel, you know how much I love this.

Grab a jar and slips of paper. Once a week, or whenever it fits, write down something that made you smile. Then, put it in the jar.

When I first started this with Ryaan, I used to write down his gratitude notes for him. Once he had his own jar, the joy on his face said it all.

Kids love seeing the jar fill up. It turns gratitude into something they can touch and revisit.

And on the harder days? Pulling out a note from months ago can give your brain a gentle reminder that joy is still here, even if today feels overwhelming.

If you start one, tag me @pedsdoctalk. I love seeing how your families make this practice your own.

2. A tiny daily check-in

At dinner or bedtime, go around the table and share one thing you’re grateful for. It doesn’t need to be deep.

Consistency matters more than depth.

Why I’m grateful for you

I wanted to end here, because this community has genuinely become one of the brightest parts of my work and life.

Every week, you share your stories with me, your questions, your worries, your celebrations, your honest moments. You trust me with your children’s health and your parenting journeys, and that trust is something I never take lightly.

And something else I wanted to say:

I keep the mail you send me. Notes, cards, drawings from your kids, every bit of it goes into a box on my shelf.

And on the days when I feel stretched thin or overwhelmed, I take those notes out and read them. It’s my own little gratitude jar. It reminds me why I do this and how connected we truly are.

I’m grateful for how you show up, for your kids and for yourselves.
I’m grateful for the way you share these newsletters and podcast episodes with friends.
I’m grateful for the compassion, curiosity, and care you bring to this space.
And I’m grateful to grow alongside you.

Thank you for being here. Truly.

A quick reminder to you

As you head into tomorrow, and really, into the whole holiday season, whether it’s a big gathering, a quiet day at home, or something in between, I hope you give yourself permission to feel however you feel.

Gratitude won’t fix complicated family history.
It won’t magically make sleep deprivation easier.
It won’t erase everything happening in the world.

But it can soften the edges.
It can help you feel more grounded.

And it can help you find small pockets of peace inside real life.

If you want support in bringing gratitude into your parenting, this podcast episode walks through what it can look like and why it helps.

And if you try the gratitude jar, or ask your child what made them smile today, send me a message or tag me. I love seeing these rituals come to life.

Wishing you a warm, gentle, low-pressure day tomorrow.
And at least one moment that makes you smile.

With gratitude,

Dr. Mona

On The Podcast

Pregnancy comes with a lot of rules, warnings, and fear based posts online. But how much of that advice is actually rooted in science, and how much is leftover noise that keeps parents stressed for no reason?

In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Jessica Knurick, a nutrition researcher and registered dietitian who has spent years breaking down food myths in the pregnancy and postpartum space. Together we walk through the biggest areas of confusion, why so much misinformation spreads so fast, and how to make calmer, more confident choices during pregnancy.

In this Follow Up episode, I’m opening up about something I’ve counseled countless parents through yet still had to face myself: the emotional weight of percentiles. After my daughter Vera was born, a mix of postpartum complications, exclusive pumping, and constant worry about her petite size pulled me into a spiral I didn’t see coming.

This episode walks through that experience with honesty and compassion. I share what feeding looked like in those early weeks, how comparison added pressure, how anxiety shaped her feeding behavior, and the turning points that helped me step back into a steadier perspective.

Most importantly, we revisit what matters far more than the number on a chart: the big-picture signs of a thriving baby. If you’ve ever left a checkup feeling shaky or second-guessing yourself, this conversation is for you.

On YouTube

When my kids get hit with coughs and colds, I keep things simple and stick to what actually helps. In this video, I walk you through the exact tools and comfort measures I use at home as both a pediatrician and a mom, from saline and ibuprofen to honey, golden milk, and the products I reach for most. You’ll learn what’s truly useful, what I skip, and how to support your child through sick days without feeling overwhelmed.

Ask Dr. Mona

An opportunity for YOU to ask Dr. Mona your parenting questions!

Dr. Mona will answer these questions in a future Sunday Morning Q&A email. Chances are if you have a parenting concern or question, another parent can relate. So let's figure this out together!