Teaching Gratitude to Children

• Gratitude is being thankful for the good things people do and saying "thank you".

Why Gratitude is Important for Children

• It helps children feel less sad and worried by improving self-awareness and feelings.
• It makes children feel happy and content, which is beneficial for their emotional well-being
• Gratitude helps children understand how others feel and what they need, making them kinder, and developing empathy.
• Grateful children understand that nice things are not guaranteed, making them less greedy and more appreciative
• Being grateful involves doing nice things for others and learning why helping is good, fostering selflessness.
• Saying "thank you" makes children nicer, improves working together, and promotes kindness, enhancing relationship skills.
• It encourages children to find the positive in difficult situations, aiding in resilience and responsible decision-making.
• Grateful children want to learn and do well in school, achieving better grades and enjoying learning, ensuring success in school..

Reasons Children Might Not Show Gratitude

• They may not know that what they have is already good due to a lack of appreciation.
• Children may copy their friends if they don't express thanks, reflecting copying friends behavior.
• Television advertising can make children want more than they already have, caused by to much media exposure.
• Things that are easy to get without effort may not be valued, getting everything easily.
• Parents giving in to every request for things children want but don't need can hinder gratitude, result of parenting practices.

Ways to Show Gratitude

• Tell friends or loved ones that you are thankful for them.
• Look people in the eye when speaking with them.
• Pay attention when someone is talking to you.
• Give a warm hug to a friend.
• Help someone, even if you don't know them, if they need it.
• Always say "thank you" when someone helps you.
• Show a happy face with a big smile.
• Wait quietly if you have to.
• Do something nice for others and keep the kindness going.
• Give compliments
• Make eye contact
• Be an active listener
• Always say thank you
• Smile
• Be patient
• Pay it forward

How to Inspire Gratitude in Children

• Make saying "thank you" a routine; write thank-you notes when someone does something nice.
• Share what you are thankful for by talking about things that make you happy and grateful.
• Write down things you are thankful for in a gratitude journal.
• As a family, do kind things for others, like giving clothes or food to people in need; help others.
• Understand that not everyone has the same good things in life; appreciate what you have; understand fairness.
• Remember that it is better to give than to receive; share, not just get things for oneself, celebrate giving and sharing.
• Remember that happiness is not just about having lots of stuff, things are not everything .
• Share what you are thankful for at mealtime or bedtime, create thankful moments.
• Deal with jealousy, anger, or sadness by thinking about things you are thankful for, talk about feelings.
• Enjoy stories about being happy and being kind to others, read books about being thankful.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

• SEL involves developing knowledge, skills, and attitudes to understand and manage emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
• Strong social and emotional skills improve academic performance; learning about emotions, focus, and friendship helps children become engaged learners and reach goals.
• Children can navigate social situations, build relationships, and develop resilience, enabling them to manage challenges and improve self-esteem.
• SEL teaches children to make good decisions, understand consequences, and develop empathy, promoting healthy relationships and well-being.

Key points to remember

• Gratitude is appreciating the good things in life.
• Gratitude has a positive impact on children by helping them feel happier, less stressed, and more empathetic.
• Children may lack gratitude due to a lack of appreciation, peer influence, media exposure, entitlement, and poor parenting.
• Showing gratitude includes expressing thanks, listening, kindness, and positive behaviors.
• Cultivate gratitude by modeling thankfulness, sharing blessings, journaling, performing acts of kindness, recognizing fairness, celebrating giving, valuing experiences, managing emotions, and reading gratitude stories.