Gratitude is an essential part of developing a heathy and well-adjusted child. Here are a few ideas to teach your kids the value of cultivating gratitude:
- Discuss the difference between needs and wants- Needs are shelter, food, water, health, safety, etc. Wants are nice to have, but not truly necessary to survival. Help them list all the needs that they have that are taken care of. Then help them list all the wants that they have- that list will probably be abundant!
- Give them opportunities to volunteer with people or animals that are in need, and talk about how grateful you are to have the chance to help others.
- Think about and list family members that have contributed to your child’s wellbeing. Find a way to let them know or verbally express gratitude for their contribution.
- Choose a day to talk about and learn about your family’s cultures. Ask friends who have different cultures to share with you and your child about their cultures. Talk about how grateful you are for the differences in the world and also for the cultures that your family is a part of.
- Go on a walk to search for beautiful things. As you notice beautiful things, comment and acknowledge them. Notice how each person in your group is attracted to different types of beauty. Express gratitude for the beauty and also for the differences in what each person notices.
These are only a few suggestions. There are countless ways to inspire gratitude in ourselves and our children!