The Why’s and How’s of Practicing Gratitude with your Children
The Oxford Language Dictionary defines gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”.
Recent research shows that the practice of gratitude has many positive outcomes. Some of the beneficial effects include reduced anxiety and depression, improved physical health, better sleep, heightened empathy, lower aggression, enhanced resilience, and increased work performance. Furthermore, beyond this practice for ourselves, modeling and cultivating gratitude practices for our children also builds resilience, connectedness, and balances the many challenges we face in raising children today.
Oftentimes we worry that moments of gratitude have to be big, but in fact the most important thing is that they are authentic. Gratitude practices are not a quick fix, but rather require patience and consistency. Letting your children appreciate things around them in a way that happens naturally will have the most benefit.
Here are some easy suggestions to incorporate gratitude practices into your family:
- Model saying “thank you”. Thanking others means you are grateful for the things that happened to you as a result of someone else’s effort. There is great value in children learning this at a young age. “Thank you” should be driven by what children feel comfortable with. Thank you notes, videos, or pictures are all good ways for children to show others that they are grateful.
- Saying the phrase “I really appreciate…” elicits the idea that what we do matters to someone else, and this will help children build empathy and learn to recognize the impact of our actions on others.
- Volunteer – Giving back and helping others add value to one’s own life. Helping children find opportunities to help those in need will add a greater sense of purpose for you and your family’s lives.
- Gratitude journaling can feel overwhelming to some, but starting a gratitude journal around holidays or special events can be quite rewarding. Examples include a gratitude tree on Thanksgiving or a birthday where family members reflect on what they are thankful for. Spending time each year reading the previous entries is a simple, yet effective, gratitude practice.
- Read together – Reading with your child is always a good idea, but one the greatest gains is the insight and exposure to a world outside their own. Books allow a perspective beyond the things children know (their schools, families and friends). Books also tell stories using pictures and visual images which help kids relate stories to their own lives and experiences.
Remember, gratitude should come naturally. Letting your children appreciate things around them in a way that feels right will have the most benefit. As parents, we should role model and cultivate gratitude practices to help inspire our children so they will want to build these practices on their own.
All Blogs are written by Professionals in the fields of Nutrition, Human Development and Diabetes.