In the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, we’re thinking a lot about thankfulness and gratitude here at Playworks. So we posed the question: How do we create thankful kids? After much discussion and reading, we’d like to share six tips for parents (and educators) to develop thankfulness in children.
- Model gratitude! Yep, take the time to write those thank you notes, pause to say please and thank you, avoid complaining and criticizing whenever possible, and instead, take a moment to be thankful for everything you have. Kids learn more from what you show them than what you tell them. Demanding thank yous from your kids won’t develop their own sense of gratitude, your example, however, will.
- Establish rituals of thankfulness. Set aside some time each day–such as at dinner or just before bed–to think together about what you are grateful for from that day. Create a fun place to collect these, such as a gratitude journal, a jar of thanks, or a gratitude chain, so that your child can see how many things you have to be thankful for.
- Give your children age appropriate responsibilities. Kids of all ages can help around the house. In fact, many enjoy sweeping the floor, putting out the silverware or even putting away the laundry. When you give a child a role in your daily responsibilities, they learn to appreciate the effort involved in those chores.
- Point out the little things. The beautiful color of the leaves as they change and fall to the ground. The smell of fresh food cooking in the kitchen. The sound of laughter in your house. By noticing the beauty in everyday life, you help your kids recognize and be thankful that beauty.
- Be giving. Bake cookies and have your child take them over to a neighbor. Go together to pick out a gift for your daughter or son’s coach, teacher or babysitter. Pick out old toys to donate together and talk about the children who will appreciate them. Start a collection box in your house for your child to place change or part of his/her allowance. Then each month pick together how you will donate that money. Volunteer together in your community.
- Read books about gratitude. Read your favorite childhood books about thankfulness and discuss them together. Try starting with The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein or The Thankful Book by Todd Parr.
How do you develop thankfulness in kids?
