Gratitude is the acceptance and being thankful for everything that we have in our life. It is the ability to acknowledge the things we have that make our lives more brighter and happier. Teaching gratitude to children is very important as it lays the foundation of their character. Fostering gratitude in kids have many benefits in their lives. Thanksgiving is not the only day when you have to be thankful, we should practice gratitude in our day-to-day lives. And this is possible when we learn to be thankful from early age. A child raised in an environment where people show gratitude and appreciation grows into a well-rounded individual.
In this post you will learn everything about gratitude, its benefits, how to instill gratitude in kids, gratitude activities. So before elaborating all the above things let’s know why gratitude is very important thing in childhood.
Why Gratitude Matters In Childhood
Gratefulness and being thankful are the traits that need to be learned by individuals. Skills that are taught and practiced from childhood become habits later in life. As gratitude has a lot of benefits in our lives so it is an essential skill to teach our children. Parents and teachers should always focus on children to be thankful. According to a research in Harvard Medical School, gratitude is directly linked to happiness. It shows people who are thankful and grateful are more happy in life. Gratitude helps people to feel positive, good emotional and mental health and also build strong relationships.
Gratitude matters in childhood as it has strong impacts on children like :-
- Being thankful leads to caring and kindness
- Improves child’s self-esteem.
- A thankful child always looks the positive side of the life and are hopeful.
- Helps a child to balance emotions
You may like to read : 30 Random Acts Of Kindness Ideas That You Can Do.
Age-Specific Strategies for Teaching Gratitude
Kids are not born with a sense of thankfulness or gratitude, we have to foster gratitude in kids. If a child is not happy after opening a gift, it means they want something else. This indicates they have not learn to be thankful for what they have. Therefor to have a thankful child, start practicing gratitude to your child. Then only a child will learn to be thankful and appreciate what they have rather than crying for something else. There are age-specific strategies to encourage thankfulness in kids.
Infant & Toddlers (0 – 3 Years)
Preschoolers (4 – 5 Years)
You may like to read : 10 Ways To Improve Cognitive Development In Preschoolers
School Age Children (6 – 12 Years)
Teenagers (13+ Years)
Practical Activities To Foster Gratitude
Practicing gratitude with kids is the best way to develop the sense of appreciation for all the things we have. There are many different ways to practice gratitude with children. I have shared few practical activities below, choose any of them you like to practice with your child.
Gratitude Jar
Gratitude jar is a simple activity. It is the best way to teach children to count their blessings. Just take a jar. Encourage your child to fill it with small notes for the things they are grateful for. Soon they will love this activity. And whenever they feel low, ask them to take out any note and read. This will help them to be thankful for what they have in life.
Gratitude Journal
Writing gratitude journal daily helps children to reflect their thoughts, feelings and emotions. It promotes positivity and happiness. Set a time to write their thoughts and things they are thankful for in their dairy everyday. Encourage children to write down any experiences small or big that they are grateful for. Anything or anyone they want to appreciate and why. Practicing this daily will help them to realize the value of everything they have in their life.
Gratitude Drawing
Usually children love drawing and coloring. So teach them to practice gratitude through art. Encourage your child to draw and color for the things they are thankful. Give them a paper and ask them to draw as many things they feel they are grateful. This is a very good activity for preschoolers to start practicing gratitude.
Thank You Card
Thank you cards are another best way to appreciate and show gratitude. Motivate your child to make thank you cards for anyone they feel to show gratitude or appreciation. Children can make thank you card or notes or letter to their parents, grandparents, friends anyone they want to thanks. Being grateful and saying thank you to someone is the best prayer.
Gratitude Storytelling
While teaching gratitude to kids it is necessary to make them understand how important is it in our life. Share your experiences of being thankful and how happy you felt by telling them your own story of gratitude. Be their role model and they will learn from your stories of gratitude.
Gratitude Books
Reading books of gratitude is great way to introduce gratitude to your child. This will help to instill positive thought and approach towards life. Lessons of gratitude will teach them to be thankful and appreciating all the little and big things of life. Read Brightly have shared some awesome collection of gratitude books for children to read.
Final Thoughts
In this busy world, negativity can easily dominate over all emotions. This happens if our brains are not nurtured properly from the beginning. So to enhance our children’s mental well being teach them to be thankful and grateful for what they have. It is not only about being courteous by saying “thank you”. We should teach our children the art of appreciation. Practicing gratitude from an early age will help them move towards positivity. It will enable them to face challenges with a strong and positive mindset.
