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Gratitude becomes a common topic of conversation around this time of year — especially at school. But why not take these conversations home with your kid as well? Following through with these conversations can help make gratitude a year-round, second nature process for not only your kid, but also your whole family. Did you know that gratitude can increase happiness starting as young as age 5? Let’s take a look at some ways you can teach gratitude.
5 Ways to Encourage Gratitude
Speak openly about what gratitude is and what you are grateful for
At a very young age, kids may not even know what gratitude is. It takes a while to understand emotions and feelings for children, so repetition is key. Simply incorporating the word “grateful” into regular, everyday conversation can be impactful. Saying grace at dinner – whether in a religious way or not – can teach your children to be grateful for the food they consume regularly. Share that you’re grateful for your health or special treats you get to enjoy and slowly your children will pick up on this and adopt that mindset as their own.
Make saying “thank you” second nature
Children are sponges. Every time you interact with a service worker or someone provides you with something, make sure to sincerely say “thank you.” Kids can pick up on sincerity more than we may think, so practising gratitude in your own life is a great way to pass it down.
Model kindness in your everyday life
Similarly, it’s important to live your life guided by kindness, not hate. Give back when you can and avoid speaking poorly about others in front of your children. Kindness can be shown in many different ways, but one way is to extend kindness to your own children. Oftentimes, we forget that they recognize our impatient moments that can escalate. While it happens to the best of us, make sure to process emotions and apologize when it seems appropriate.
Create a tradition of giving back
Thanksgiving time offers plenty of opportunities to give back to those less fortunate than yourself. If you have the time, you can volunteer time at a local shelter or food bank with your kids. Alternatively, you can participate in a food drive organized by a local organization. There are typically many options and a quick search on the internet can point you in the right direction.
Speak gratitude into even bad situations
Life is never perfect and there are going to be times where we encounter unfortunate times. While it’s ok to express some of these feelings and situations, it’s best to model a level of optimism for kids. Being grateful for the opportunities that are presented to you on a daily basis is grounding not only for yourself but is passed on to your kids.
Ready To Enroll Your Child? Call KRK Today
If you’re ready to enroll your children in a VPK program, you can contact us at any point. Kids R’ Kids at Avalon Park offers a nationally renowned program with a state-of-the-art, safe environment to prepare your kids for their learning adventure. We’re family-owned and operated, and our staff is dedicated, highly trained, and vetted for your peace of mind.