Why do we need to teach our kids to be grateful?
Studies have shown that gratitude is linked to happiness in children by age 5.
This means that instilling gratitude in your kids at a young age could help them grow up to be happier people.
Grateful children tend to be happier more optimistic and have better social support. They will be satisfied with their schools, families, communities , friends and themselves.
Grateful kids also tend to give more social support to others as well .
Encourage your child to say THANK YOU on a regular basis . Offer gentle reminders like, “Your sister let you go first, What do you say to her?”
While it may seem like forcing a “thank you” doesn’t seem like genuine appreciation when your child needs a reminder, encouraging them to verbally express appreciation can be an important learning tool for genuine gratitude down the line.
You can encourage your kid to write a thank you note to people who give them gifts or show them kindness. Your child may draw a picture for her grandparents who gave them a birthday card.
Once your child remembers to say “thank you” on a regular basis, it can be time to dig a little dipper to ensure that they aren’t just going through socially-prescribed motions of saying “Thank you.” Start having conversation about what it means to be thankful, and take their understanding of gratitude to a whole new level by incorporating more gratitude components.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to your comments.
Olu
Positive Parenting With Olu 