Teaching Kids to be Thankful

BY CONNIE ROBINSON & JANINE TRAMP 5Cs PRESCHOOL

Gratitude is one of the most important things we can teach our children – practicing gratitude and being thankful sets our children up to be more appreciative, sensitive and empathetic toward others. It helps to build a positive attitude and outlook on life.

1. Teach manners – say THANK YOU. Manners show that we don’t believe we are entitled to anything and that we appreciate whatever comes our way. Teaching children to say “thank you” helps them be aware of kind things others do for them or give to them.

Say please and thank you using sign language for infants. At 5Cs we thank God each day for our snack - even 2s can say things they are thankful for – people and things.

By 4 they can understand it’s not only things and people, but acts of kindness and love.

2. Modeling – kids learn most by what we do and say. Tell them how grateful you are for them: their smile, laughter, ways they are kind to others.

Model a grateful attitude in your words and actions toward others, as you are out, thank the servers, cashiers, baristas, and teachers. Let your child hear you say thank you and help them be aware of kind things that others do for them.

3. Look for awe – inspiring moments, help your children appreciate the beauty in our world. Take time to notice and express gratitude for creation and all God has given us. It’s the perfect time of year to take a walk or, as you are driving, comment on the leaves changing colors, flowers or birds. Let them stay up late and see the beauty of a sunset or the starry sky and moon.

4. Build an attitude of gratitude by helping others and doing small acts of kindness. This is as simple as helping a neighbor, an elderly person, someone you know who is struggling. Donate old clothes and toys to a shelter or food to a food shelf to help others.

5. Send thank you notes. Have your child draw a picture of what they are thankful for or use video or FaceTiming as your child opens a gift and give them the chance to say “thank you”.

6. Start a practice of taking turns sharing something you are thankful for each day. At 5Cs during Thanksgiving, the children take turns telling us all the things they are thankful for and we post it on our walls. They take magazines and cut out what they are thankful for.

At home, during suppertime or bedtime each family member can share one thing they are thankful for. Then start a gratitude journal – this is an amazing activity.

Make a list each day of what each one shares. There is always something you can be thankful for and sometimes it’s really simple things but as you continue to fill the journal it’s a tangible list that you as a family can look back on and remember there’s always something for which we can be thankful.