Behavior & discipline

How To Teach Your Child To Be Thankful?

How To Teach Your Child To Be Thankful?

 

Gratitude is thought to be one of the human beings ‘ healthiest emotions. The art of teaching gratitude to children can be challenging. To be grateful is the kindest gesture you can show for what you have and to be valued is the highest form of thoughts. Teaching children to be “grateful” is important because it goes beyond good manners to instill the sense of the gesture. Experts share tips on the development of children and how teaching “gratitude for children” can help them to become better people. 

 

Why Do We Need To Teach Children Gratitude?

 

The art of teaching gratitude to children can be challenging especially if you have a pre-school or a kid. But you should begin as soon as possible. It’s better.

Naturally self-centered children are certainly pleasant and polite to be around. However, your child becomes sensitive to others ‘ feelings when he/she learns about gratitude. It develops in them a sense of empathy.

No one has been born grateful. It isn’t natural to the child to recognize that anyone has left their way to you–it is a self-acquired quality. When children regularly practice being thankful, they experience psychological and interpersonal benefits such as: 

  • Feeling less stressed
  • Being positive 
  • being happier 
  • Better at school
  • Not being very materialistic
  • Being able to deal effectively with difficulty
  • Being able to focus better 
  • Fewer health problems 

 

When Did Children know How To Appreciate?

 

Usually, children are self-centered. They get to know that they are different from others between 1-2 years of age. Your child may not be able to respond to the gestures of gratitude around this age, but he/she can certainly recognize it and begin to grasp it. Your child can feel the emotions and the gesture when they cross the age of 3.

Using actions, they can express. For example, if you’ve enjoyed the meal or storytelling session with you, your kid is all smiling or tightly hugging you. Children at the age of 4 tend to develop the ability to be grateful not only for materialistic things, but also for acts of love, affection, and kindness. 

 

How To Teach Kids About Gratitude:

 

1. Donate:

Encourage your child’s generosity. They are inspired to become generous by doing charity or donating clothes, food, toys, books, etc. to the less fortunate people. Encouraging your children to develop these social skills helps them feel grateful. Automatically he/she will feel like reaching out to the needy and helping them in any way he/she can. 

2. Encourage reading books that promote gratitude:

The feeling of gratitude is celebrated by books like ‘ Thanks A Million ‘ ‘ Just So Thankful ‘ ‘ The Blessings Jar. ‘ For your little ones, these books are excellent reading material.

3. Encourage kids to assist:

You may ask your kid to distribute toys, clothes, and books he has not used. Promoting children’s generosity from an early age will help instill in them a sense of gratitude. Taking your kid to visit conditions that are less privileged will let them know how fortunate they are and learn how to value things.

4. Talk to them:

Ask your kids to list and thank you for a couple of things that happened during the day. Set a specific time for one of your children on one interaction. For this activity, many families find their dinner time appropriate. 

5. Practice Saying No At Times:

Your kids will always ask for candies, toys, gadgets, etc. It’s hard, but not impossible to let them know that they are grateful for what they’ve already got and there’s no need to make an impulsive purchase.

6. Be Patient:

You have to understand that your child is not going to suddenly imbibe this habit. It may take days, weeks, months or years for him – and hearing a ‘ no ‘ while asking for him will surely lead to tears! Parents should remain calm and help kids grow appreciation and gratitude habits.

7. Emphasize ‘ Thank you ‘ Notes:

Thank you notes, a little piece of paper with a flower on it could even mean. In the form of little letters and drawings, children love to express emotion. Encourage your child to note “thank you” when there is an instance for which thank you must be given. For instance, on his birthday, he could write to someone who gifted him a beautiful toy. 

8. Keep a Journal:

Ask your child on a daily basis to keep a note of the things he is grateful for. You can make him read the same loudly at the end of the week. This will encourage him to reflect and count his blessings on every aspect of his life.

9. Expose Children To The Effects Of Their Action:

Exposing kids to the consequences of their actions is a simple but powerful way to help kids learn about gratitude. Care should be taken not to bail them out of any situation or bribe them out.

10. Give Real Examples:

It is necessary to give actual examples of incidences promoting generosity so that children can learn from these real-life instances. One example of how to appreciate children may be to share the good news, like –”Today we have new computers at our workplace! How lucky we were replacing our old ones! ”. 

It is important to start these practices from an early age to raise children with an attitude of gratitude that can create lifelong happiness for your children.

Also Read: How To Be Confident And Love Yourself?

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