“Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one’s voice.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin

Practicing gratitude seems pretty simple right? Say thank you, be kind and gracious as much as you can. However, practicing daily gratitude is a lifestyle change with many healing benefits to improve physical, social , and emotional well being. There are millions of adults worldwide who have adopted gratitude practices, however, it is also a very powerful tool to share with your children. Every parent wants the best for their child, to raise them with core values and moral principles that will help them thrive. Gratitude is essential to every child and teaches them early on the importance of being thankful, kind and mindful. In this blog, you will discover some of the healing benefits of daily gratitude and how to practice these methods with your child/children.

Defining Gratitude for Children

It’s important when introducing your child to gratitude you’re able to define it in terms that they will understand. This will vary from child to child depending on cognition and age. However, a universal and simple definition of gratitude is to be thankful for every little thing. Another metaphor that embodies gratitude practice is ‘sunshine and rain’ meaning we have to be thankful for the sunny days and rainy days because they both serve a purpose. It’s important to highlight that each day has joy in it and in order to activate that joy we must first be grateful.

FUN FACT: “ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE” HAS BECOME SO POPULAR WITHIN RECENT YEARS THAT NOVEMBER HAS BEEN DEEMED NATIONAL GRATITUDE MONTH.

Childhood Benefits of Gratitude

•  Boosts their self esteem
• Improves relationships with family, teachers, peers
• Decreases stress and anxiety
• Promotes mindfulness
• Helps with calmness

A Parent’s Guide to Gratitude

Now that you know some of the healing benefits of gratitude for your child/children you’re probably wondering how you can make it a daily practice. As a parent, it can be pretty overwhelming to think of adding another activity to the roster. However, children are easily overstimulated and need moments to be still and reflect as much as adults. You can view your gratitude practice as extra bonding time either after school, before bed, or whatever makes sense for your household. A time to calm down from the hustle and bustle of the day and write or recite one item of gratitude. Here are (3) simple tips to practice your gratitude as a family each day.

• Create a Schedule
• Make it Fun
• Connect it to Special Interest

Attitude of Gratitude

Parents hold an incredible amount of influence and children are likely to mirror their traits. Therefore, the best way to raise a grateful child is to lead by example. As you can see, there are many ways to practice daily gratitude, for best results choose the ways that tailor into your lifestyle best and be gentle with yourself as you learn and teach. Here are a few ways you can put your gratitude into practice that are fun and interactive.

• A Gratitude Journal:: The journal is a great tool because it really becomes concrete for the child as they write it down and have a tangible object to connect to their gratitude. Allow them to pick out the journal style or color and have a special place they keep it in. Routine and predictability are best when introducing something new. It can be as simple as writing one sentence per day about what they’re grateful for. (You could also share the journal and both jot down your gratitude each day) 
• Thank you Jar: If tracking daily gratitude is a bit overwhelming for you when you first begin you can randomly jot down your gratitude as it comes to you and drop it in an empty jar or container. With this method you could pick a designated day of the week as “Gratitude Day” and have everyone take turns hitting gratitude from the week on bits of paper and dropping them in the jar. 
• Daily affirmations: When we practice self love we start to feel better physically, mentally and spiritually. The same thing happens when we speak kindly to ourselves. Reading, writing, and or reciting affirmations daily can open up your child’s mind to gratitude. Consistency is key, so it helps to have a set of affirmations you want to focus on each month. You can say them together while looking in the mirror during morning hygiene, or before bedtime. Whatever works in hopes that your child will begin to expect and look forward to practicing their gratitude.

In conclusion, A daily gratitude practice is a small way to make a big impact on your child’s mental health. Healing starts with our intentions of wanting to feel better; teaching this at a young age can instill these as habits that your child uses throughout their life. Daily gratitude is a healthy coping skill for both parents and children that will ease and even prevent depressive and anxiety symptoms, foster self acceptance, teach mindfulness, and promote positive emotions.