Some say that the amount of gratitude we feel on a daily basis directly corresponds to the amount of happiness we have in our lives. One of the greatest gifts we can give our children’s mental health and wellbeing is the daily practice of being grateful.
We all want to be happy and we want our children to be happy. Teaching them how to be grateful from an early age will help us tremendously in achieving this goal. Here are a few ways we can encourage our kids to be grateful.
Be a good role model
Children learn by observing and copying the behavior of their role models, and that will be family or anyone they see regularly. If desired behavior is not modeled to them, they won’t acquire it. Therefore, if you want your children to learn how to be grateful, you have to be grateful in your interaction with other people and as you go about your day. Try to openly express your thankfulness whenever you can and let your children know what you are thankful for. Give them examples and encourage them to do the same.
Make a habit out of it
Creating a habit requires consistent repetition of a certain action until it becomes something we do without thinking, something we do spontaneously, routinely. The best thing you can do is to create a daily practice of gratefulness together with your kids. Make it into a daily routine by connecting it with another daily routine, like having dinner or going to bed. It can be as simple as naming things we are grateful for that day and asking our kids to do the same. It is important to do it every day so it becomes natural.
Volunteer
There are always children who are worse off than yours, so another way to help them realise they have many things to be grateful for, like good food, a safe place to live and lots of toys, is to show them how other perhaps less fortunate children or adults live. You can choose a local charity and take your kids along as you donate old clothes and toys. Do something together that will help another human being and this will also make your child feel valued and of service. If there are volunteering opportunities, let them experience that as well.
Look at the world from children’s perspective
It is very difficult for children to understand abstract concepts since they operate in the world of games, toys and stories. If you can instill gratefulness into their world of wonder, you can be sure it will stick. For example, all kids have some favorite characters from cartoons for example princesses or warriors, or princess warriors! You can use this and talk about the things superheroes or other characters can be grateful for like their castles, or friends, or loving parents, victories in battles or great warrior skills. You can arrange a superhero party for their birthday and let them express gratitude for the presents and their friends like the superheroes they are.
Let them write thank you notes and cards
Thank you notes and cards are a great way to express gratitude since they are a material expression of this feeling and they are long lasting reminders. They also signify that making the effort and taking the time to write or draw something are worthwhile endeavors when it comes to expressing thankfulness. While saying thank you should always be a must for any gifts or praise, writing thank you notes could be practiced as often as possible, for various things – it shouldn’t only be reserved for getting big presents. If your kids can’t write yet, drawing something will be enough.
Remember that your children are probably doing the best they can and be patient with them. Repeat acts of gratefulness with them whenever you can and try to make a consistent practice out of it. They will be grateful to you that you taught them how to be happy and lead fulfilling lives.