Hanna Lalonde According to Psychology Today, gratitude can be defined as “the expression of appreciation for what one has”. This act of appreciation – and acknowledgement – is incredibly important to practice as a family. The holiday season is the perfect time to start creating a dialogue surrounding gratitude. Teaching your children how to appreciate little moments, experiences, and things is an incredibly valuable tool.
Mindful Little Minds cites many benefits to gratitude, such as “higher levels of happiness and optimism” and an “improved ability to cope with stress”. Practicing gratitude might seem like a daunting – or confusing – lesson to teach your children, but we’re here to help! We’ve sourced a few simple ways to help you share the gift of gratitude with your family.
Practice Saying Thank You
In the hustle and bustle of family life, it can be easy to forget to say thank you to your family members. However, practicing gratitude can be as easy as thanking your children for their help around the house. Showing your appreciation for your children will help to teach them the importance of showing their gratitude for others. After meal times, reminding your little ones to say thank you is another simple way to practice gratitude. It is so easy to incorporate the practice of gratitude into family meal times. If you’re looking for some dinner inspiration, you can visit our Healthy Winter Meal Ideas blog post.
Create a Family Gratitude Journal
The Doing Good Together Blog suggests that families can create their very own gratitude journal in order to further their practice of gratitude. Family members could each write down an experience, person, or thing that they are grateful for on a weekly basis. Once the journal begins to fill up, members can take turns reading about all of the things that their family is grateful for. This is an awesome ritual that families can incorporate into their weekly routine to practice gratitude.
Make Gratitude a Ritual in Your Household
Amy Morin from very well mind notes that it can be easy for parents to incorporate gratitude into their family’s everyday routine. Morin suggests that family members can share what they are grateful for at dinner on a weekly basis, or even in the car ride to school. Making gratitude a part of your family’s routine will encourage your children to practice gratitude throughout their day.
Expressing gratitude is a simple but effective way to uplift those around you. When parents are able to consistently express thankfulness around their children, it can be far easier for kids to learn about the power of gratitude. Happy Holidays everyone!
