Sharing thankfulness with your child will make him or her stronger and a better person. Research from the Greater Good Science Center found that gratitude actually blocks toxic emotions; it makes grateful people more stress-resistant and gives them a higher sense of self-worth.
Other research has found that grateful children sleep better, have more energy and are less anxious. They are also more likely to be kind to others and help others, even strangers.
There are many ways to teach and share thankfulness with children, beginning with Preschool aged and all the way up through the later grades. Being thankful is a mindset that is developed early and stays with us our entire lives.
We couldn’t possibly cover all the possible ways you can celebrate thankfulness with your child, but we can name a few.
Lead by Example, From a Place of Gratitude
You can comment on so many activities around the house, thanking your child for cleaning his or her room, taking out the trash, helping set the table, sweeping the floor, cutting the grass, carrying in the groceries – and many more. By actually living what you preach and “walking the walk,” you will be setting the culture in your household for thankful behavior.
Thank Those Who Serve
Let your children hear you thank those people who quietly do things for you in everyday activities like the bus driver that takes your child to school, to teachers, coaches, babysitters, doctors and nurses, waitresses and busboys, mail persons, and more.
Thank you’s should become part of your home vocabulary. When it should be said but is not, you can say it with your child so your child can learn to respond in the future the same way without your nudging.
There are also organizations that recognize servicemen and women and their contributions including Blue Star Families and Operation Gratitude. As your children get older, you can point out organizations such as these and discuss their purpose and history.
You can also talk about police and fire persons and first responders and all that they do to help others and express your gratitude as another example for your child.
Make Gratitude Fun
There are many ways to involve your child in activities that are fun as well as educational. Help your child make a thank-you video for someone who gave her a gift or showed her a kindness.
Help your child make a gratitude photo book and use a cellphone or camera to gather photos of the things she is thankful for. If you have magazines on hand, your child can cut out some of the photos as examples of things she is thankful for.
If your young child is to bashful about saying “thank you” herself, let her do it through a doll or stuffed animal. It’s more fun for teddy bear to say” thank you.”
Help Children Appreciate Helping Others
The world needs volunteers. People who help out in important causes without being paid are so important in the world. Many people volunteer to help when a hurricane, tornado, fire, flood, earthquake or other natural disaster strikes a town or city. Make your child aware of these volunteers who see that others are less fortunate and want to help out.
Maybe there is an opportunity for your child to help out at a local fair or soup kitchen, or help a neighbor with yard work or take their dog for a walk.
Try to make giving and volunteering a habit. Help your child set aside toys and clothing no longer needed and in good condition. Help deliver the items to a deserving cause together. Talk about what you are doing and why.
Teach the Gift of Oneself
At Thanksgiving, children and parents often share the things they are grateful for as part of the holiday celebration. At Christmas and other joyous holidays, children are thankful for their store-bought gifts. Parents often have to remind their children to say “thank you” to the gift giver, so expressing thanks is a work in process for many families.
But gifts are not always store-bought. Gifts also come from within. Children can learn to give of themselves, create crafts or offer some kind of service as a gift to others. And children should learn to appreciate the personal gifts of others. Thankfulness should be about people first, and sharing personal gifts will bring families closer together.