If you are wondering how to teach your kids gratitude? And why do we need to teach gratitude to kids? also how to teach your child to appreciate what they have?… Because …
When we practice gratitude for the things and people that we have in our lives, it ignites happiness in us. We are able to balance the negative things happening around us and lead stress-free lives. It also helps us find the silver lining in everything, which changes our perspective and thinking. When we see things in a positive way, it opens a world of possibilities. In addition, being grateful strengthens our relationships with people to who we extend gratitude. By teaching your gratitude to your kids, you allow them to reap these benefits that are essential now and when they grow up.
However, teaching kids to be grateful in this era of instant gratification and overabundance can be overwhelming. Nevertheless, it can be done with simple steps such as the following.
Saying thank you might appear as just a sign of good manners and politeness, but it is really the first step to start showing kids to be grateful. Encourage them to say ‘thank you’ to people who do nice things to them.
Remind them gently to do it whenever they forget, and let them know that you notice whenever they remember to do it. You can also encourage them to write thank-you notes to people who have been good to them. Use this opportunity to help them figure out things that they are grateful for.
For instance, you can help them recognize that they are grateful for their teacher, and the reasons why. Help them make a card for them at the end of the school year.
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When you are kind, it becomes easy to see kindness in other people and in your surroundings. In the same way, kids will start noticing the kindness that is extended to them by learning how to be kind as gratitude activities for kids. You can think of activities that you can do with your kids to extend kindness. For instance, you can volunteer, help a friend out or donate stuff to needy people.
Besides showing kindness to people, it is good to teach your kids how to be good to the environment for all the beauty it gives. Gardening can be a good activity to do.
Getting in touch with nature has a way of reminding us of the beauty around us that we ought to be grateful for. Besides this, growing plants together helps us appreciate the little things such as the gift of family and friends. You can make gardening a daily activity for you and your kids. With the help of an indoor grow tent, you can grow crops inside whenever the weather outside isn’t favorable or when you don’t have an outdoor garden.
Just as kids learn other things from the people who surround them, children will learn gratitude from you. It is very important for you to practice what you preach. Let your kids see you say thank you to people who do good things for you.
You can also create gratitude cards for people when they are creating theirs. In addition, talk about gratitude with your children. For instance, you can point out people and things that you appreciate in your life.
In an era where we have so much to do, it can be hard to stop and appreciate all that we have. That is why we need to be intentional in practicing gratitude. A good place to start is having a gratitude ritual as a family. You can take a few minutes every day or once a week to express gratitude.
Take turns to share things that you are grateful for from your day or week. It can range from people to the weather or anything. This way, you will be teaching your kids to find the good every day regardless of how their day was. You can also encourage them to keep a gratitude journal to highlight the wow moments in their lives.
Envy and jealousness can stand in the way of gratitude. It can be hard to appreciate what you have when you are envious of what the other person has which will hard to teach gratitude for your kids.
Teach your kids to be content with what they have and to be appreciative of it. This way, it becomes easier to stop comparing themselves to other people. When their hearts are free from these two vices, gratitude will grow.
When you make gratitude a habit for your kids, you will be doing much more for their general well-being and their social skills in 21st century. Sometimes kids can be unteachable, but the above strategies can go a long way in instilling gratitude. Start by teaching them good manners and practicing it yourself.
Create a gratitude ritual, do acts of kindness and teach them to be content with what they have. With persistence, gratitude can become their second nature.
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