Teaching Kids to be more Thankful

Thanksgiving day always reminds us all to be grateful for everything we have and thankful to our loved ones. However, the message of Thanksgiving is one that can be applied to our everyday lives. Being aware of what you are most grateful for can make you feel more content and whole. This is an important lesson to teach children as they can learn to not to take things for granted.

So how can we teach kids the importance of thankfulness?

Teach them about the value of things

We are all guilty of spoiling our kids sometimes, but its fine to do so sparingly. It is a better approach to reward your child with a gift after they convey a desirable attitude towards a situation. Like for example, if you are happy with the way they thank the people they interact with, let them know that you want to encourage this behaviour by rewarding them with a treat. This way, they relate rewards with good behaviour and they are more thankful for their prize.

Make a habit of saying “please” and “thank you”

Kids learn from example and parents must constantly be aware that their children may imitate their actions. By making it a habit to say “please” and “thank you”, kids can in turn learn to say it when asking for something and when receiving it. This ensures that a child feels and expresses their gratefulness in a positive way.

Make a thank you box

Instead of a swear jar, think about making a thank you box! Kids are usually not too keen to write cards for the gifts they receive, but by having a dedicated process, you can give them a reward and sense of accomplishment through the completion of thank you cards.

The process works like this: your child receives the present and you’ll let them open it. Once the child sees the present, you tell them that they will have to write the thank you card before they can play/use the gift. This gives them the necessary motivation to write their thank you card. In addition, the joy of finally being able to play with their gift is associated with thanking the gifter first. This ensures a level of gratefulness before having the luxury to interact with something of value.

Treat them with trust

It’s completely normal for a parent to be protective of their child. However, it takes a high level of trust and some bravery to let your child make their own choices and inevitably, their own mistakes. Kids might not appreciate you holding their hands through everything in the present time, but once they grow up, they’ll learn to be grateful of your trust in them for making their own choices.

Thankfulness is not something that can be learned through a class; it is something that one has to learn from experience and exposure. Reminding our children to be thankful is a lesson that when learned, is beneficial for the duration of their lives.

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