How can we teach our children to feel gratitude?
The simplest things, the ones we take for granted, ought to be appreciated. For example, having hands that can function effectively is a great starting point.
A teacher I know asked his class to avoid using their hands for five minutes in order to drive home this point. What an incredible lesson the class learned! In just five minutes they realized what a fantastic gift fully functioning hands and fingers are, and how incapacitated they would be without them!
Gratitude is also learned by example. How often do we hear people complain about having a common cold? In the wintertime, it’s a daily occurrence! Yet, on the other hand, how often have you heard a friend or coworker express their thankfulness that their cold has gone away?
It’s so easy to notice the bad things in life; it takes effort and attention to notice the good. Allow your child to see and hear you express thankfulness for the virus that has disappeared, the sun that has driven away the rain, the ability to live in freedom
A prerequisite to teaching gratitude is not to spoil a child. A spoiled child is one who feels that the world owes him everything, and thus, gratitude is unnecessary. Gratitude means expressing thankfulness- how can a child be thankful for that which he feels is rightfully belonging to him
Not spoiling a child does not mean not giving a child anything beyond mandatory clothing and shelter. It means giving a child what is in his best interests, not giving him things that are contrary to his interest just because he wants them. Thinking ahead with foresight will allow you as the parent to judge accurately what will be good for your child in the long run versus what may be detrimental to him
Creating a family journal of “Things I am Grateful for” is an excellent tool to build up your family’s attitude of gratitude. Specify a time, perhaps each weekend or the first of each month, where the family will sit down together and jot down the things in life for which they are thankful.
