Helping Your Family Develop a Grateful heart

Thanksgiving is the season of gratitude. We know this, as there is talk about gratitude in schools, on the news, and of course, on social media. It makes me wonder if this is the start, when is the end? And why does it end? Don’t we want to experience the benefits of Gratitude all year? don’t we want our children to develop a deep appreciation and a profound sense of awe and wonder celebrated throughout the year?- if so, how do we do this?

We often assume young children know what the words “thankful” or “grateful” mean. I don’t think I truly understood the meaning until I was almost 30 (maybe I was late to the table, I don’t know). In childcare centers all across America right now, children are being asked, “What are you thankful for?” Often the question is accompanied by a simple definition of gratitude or thankfulness. Often when children are honest about being thankful for cookies or paw patrol, they are kindly redirected to be thankful for something more “suitable” to put on a handprint turkey.

So, how do we encourage children to have a sense of gratitude? To make an impact on young children telling has a smaller impact than showing. Instead of telling children to be thankful and grateful, let’s point out all the times they demonstrate this in their everyday existence. Let’s highlight and celebrate their moment of joy, their small successes, moments of patience, and love for the world around them.

Young children are filled with awe, wonder, and amazement at everyday things; they stop to watch the wind blow, a caterpillar inch along a fence, or after mastering a coat zipper for the first time. These examples show that they experience gratitude, but the adults around them can easily miss these moments of amazement and gratitude.

I often hear from parents, “My child is selfish – all they do is think of themselves.” Yes, young children are self-centered. However, we are often too blinded by our busy lives to slow down and recognize how children are experience gratitude. How often do we stop to recognize what the children in our lives are seeing? How often are we ourselves, stopping to see what the world is offering us?

We all can experience gratitude and wonder every day if only we could put down the obstacles of our lives. When we remove these barriers, we will have the opportunity to exercise and experience a sustained sense of gratitude and, in turn, experience greater joy.

Suppose one of your goals for your children is to have a general understanding and appreciation of the things in their life. In that case, you, too, must experience a genuine and ongoing appreciation for the things both in their life and your own. Can you regularly appreciate and enjoy your world and all that you have in it? I encourage you and your family, to develop a daily practice, no matter how small, to celebrate the things you are grateful for.

Today, I am grateful for: the time off from work, cranberry sauce, sharing food (socially distance) with my neighbors, my husband, and the effort we put in developing a stronger marriage, my yeti cup (so great), and of course my cat.

Originally Posted Helping Your Family Develop a Grateful heart – Consult Allegra Blog Posts