We live in turbulent times. The headlines are heavy, the pace of life relentless, and our homes are often a swirl of busyness, noise, and responsibility. As parents and carers, we juggle so many moving parts; the school runs, the laundry, the packed lunches, the emotions, the logistics. Gratitude can sometimes feel like an optional extra, something we’ll get to when everything else is under control. But what if gratitude isn’t a luxury at all? What if it’s the quiet foundation that helps everything else flow more smoothly?

Gratitude is not about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about pausing long enough to notice what’s working, what’s quietly supporting us, what we would miss if it disappeared. It’s a shift from autopilot to awareness, and it has the power to soften the edges of even the most chaotic day.

We all know those moments when we sigh at the mess left behind. The toys scattered across the floor, the dishes that seem to multiply overnight, the trail of school bags and odd socks. It’s easy to groan. But one day, perhaps sooner than we’d like, the house will be quiet. The laughter, the chatter, the clatter will have moved elsewhere. And we may find ourselves missing those socks, those crumbs, those echoes of life lived fully under our roof. Gratitude doesn’t mean you have to love cleaning up, it simply invites you to see the mess as evidence of life, love, and togetherness.

Recently, I had a very literal reminder of this. My toilet blocked! Yes, the humble loo. For two days, that simple daily convenience was gone. When the plumber finally fixed it, I could have hugged him. The sheer relief of being able to flush again was unexpectedly profound. I was genuinely grateful; grateful for water that runs, plumbing that works, and the small mercies of modern life that so often go unnoticed. It made me laugh and think about how many other things I take for granted every single day.

Running water, electricity, rubbish collections, a fridge that keeps food cold, the Wi-Fi that connects us; all these invisible systems quietly hold our lives together. We barely notice them until something breaks. Then suddenly, we’re awake to their value. Imagine even one day without them. You would feel it instantly. And when they return, you’d breathe a little easier and perhaps whisper, “thank you.”

The same applies to our families. When our children are young, we often focus on the noise, the spills, the endless demands. Yet those same moments are fleeting. When they’re gone, what we miss most are not the perfect days but the ordinary ones, the laughter, the small hugs, the noise that filled the gaps. Gratitude helps us tune into those moments while they’re still happening. It doesn’t mean ignoring frustration or fatigue; it means widening our lens to include appreciation alongside it.

Science backs this up. Neuroscientists have found that practising gratitude activates the brain’s reward centres, increasing dopamine and serotonin, the chemicals that make us feel happier and more at ease. Regular gratitude practice reduces stress hormones and helps us focus on what’s working rather than what’s wrong. It doesn’t just make us feel better emotionally; it can make us more productive, more patient, and more connected to the people around us. Gratitude literally rewires the brain for resilience.

So how can we bring this into daily life? It doesn’t require a journal, a perfect routine, or a quiet hour to yourself. It just needs a moment. Try pausing before bed or after your morning coffee and asking yourself, “What’s one thing I’m grateful for right now?” It could be something big: your health, your family, the safety of your home. Or something wonderfully ordinary: a warm shower, a friend’s message, the sound of birds, or yes, a toilet that flushes when you need it to. The small things matter because they build the foundation for everything else.

Gratitude doesn’t erase the world’s pain. It doesn’t stop wars or fix global crises. But it does something equally vital. It rebalances us. It brings perspective, calm, and compassion into our homes and workplaces. When we practise gratitude, we become steadier in the storm and kinder in our interactions. We start to notice what we have instead of what we lack. And that quiet shift, repeated often, can ripple outward and make the world around us a little gentler too.

So perhaps tonight, as you walk through your home, notice what usually slips under the radar. The hum of the fridge, the light that switches on, the sound of your family moving about. Take a breath and offer a quiet “thank you.” Gratitude is not about ignoring the hard things, it’s about remembering the good ones that hold us steady through them.

If you’d like to explore this further, Kathryn has created a guided gratitude meditation practice you can enjoy. It will help you reconnect to the warmth and clarity of a grateful heart, and remind you just how much goodness surrounds you, even on the most ordinary days.

Take a few minutes, breathe deeply, and give thanks; for the simple, the silly, and the small. You might just find it changes everything.