Now when you think of teaching children gratitude, what pops into your mind? Is it teaching children to say please and thank you? Because if it is, then there is so much more to gratitude which I will share with you today. Often, we see children with expensive phones, gadgets,clothes,s and toys, sometimes unaware of how hard parents have had to work in the background to provide these luxuries. Now in an ideal world, we would like our children to be appreciative of the things they have and not be taking this for granted and this is why teaching gratitude is important. In fact, when children learn to be grateful, it can improve their relationships, it allows them to learn how to be empathetic, and can boost their overall levels of happiness. It also helps them to learn how to look at the positives instead of the negatives and it is actually believed to be one of the healthiest emotions that we human begins can practise, which I can believe. Since I’ve begun journaling and practising gratitude myself, I do find it boosts in my mood and that I have a more positive outlook, so why wouldn’t we want this for our little humans? So today, I’m going to share with you some ideas, tips, and tricks on how you can help children practise gratitude.
So, before I start, here is the definition of gratitude:
“the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”
Now for my tips and tricks on how we can achieve this:
1. Start with the please and thank you: Now my opening line was that gratitude is so much more than please and thank you, but when starting on the gratitude journey this is a good place to start. Manners are the first step in the process and it can help children to begin to recognise when kindness has been shown to them, it helps children to understand the importance of appreciating whatever comes their way and that we are not entitled to these things. Children may need gentle reminders with this step and that’s absolutely fine, you could also explain to children why you may often be reminding them so they can learn from those prompts.
2. Teach children the act of kindness:
In a world that can be so dark and cruel at times, children need to learn at a young age that the act of kindness really can go a long way. Emphasise to children that kindness can feel good for all those involved and that the best thing is, it is free! Explain to children that there are many ways to be kind, such as by using manners, sharing, giving compliments, helping someone in need, being a good friend, lending a listening ear, and looking after the environment for example.
3. Help them to pick out something amazing about their day:
Teach children that the little things can mean a lot and that in a day that seems ordinary, there can still be something special that has happened. This could be things like seeing a beautiful sunset, creating a lovely piece of art work, finishing a book or overcoming a challenge. The appreciation of the simpler things will help children to see the beauty in each new day which then in turn will help them to become mindful human beings.
4. Make time to share gratitude:
Put some time aside to spend with your little person to share what you are thankful for at the end of each day. There are so many ways this can easily be done, whether that’s during the bedtime routine, whilst sat at the dinner table as a family or reflecting at the end of a week. The more children practise gratitude, the more it begins to become part of their everyday life.
5. Complete gratitude activities:
There are plenty of gratitude activities and ideas online that children can complete. These activities provide children with the opportunity to be creative with their gratitude, whilst providing time to reflect on their lives. Journals are also a brilliant tool for practising gratitude and the best thing is, it doesn’t have to be just words, drawing, and colouring would also work too!
6. Encourage children to always look on the positive side of things:
By helping your child see the good side of things, even in difficult situations, their mindset will begin to shift from positive to negative. Children need to understand, that even if things don’t work out the way they wanted, there can still be a positive in that situation. The more children practise this, the more they will begin to use this skill automatically.
7. Support them through envious periods:
We are all human and we may find at times we do compare what we have to others, but it is important that children understand everyone’s circumstances are different and comparing yourself to others can have a negative effect on your mental health. Instead, help children to understand that what is important is that we appreciate what we have.
There we have it, my tips for practicing gratitude, but please be aware, gratitude won’t just happen straight away, to change our mindset, we must keep practising the skill and this will be exactly the same for your little people.
