10 Ways to Instill Gratitude in Your Child

Gratitude Challenge
How to Instill a Sense of Gratitude in Your Child

It’s November – and you’re social media may soon be covered with #GratitudeChallenge posts! While we count our blessings this month, do we help our kids count theirs?

Kids have a reputation for being selfish, but they can be some of the kindest and most generous people. It’s up to us as parents to instill a sense of gratitude instead of entitlement in our kids. And when we teach our children to be thankful, you’ll be amazed at how often they will remind us of just how much we have to be grateful for.

Here are 10 ways to begin to instill a sense of gratitude in your child.

• Start with the basics: Teach your child to say “thank you” any time someone does something for him. When he is old enough, help him write thank you notes. That may seem outdated, but a handwritten thank you is always appreciated.
• Take a moment at a meal: Have everyone in the family share something that he or she is thankful for. It could be serious or silly, but sharing forces us to think of all the good around us even when we’re having a bad day.
• Go on gratitude walks: Have your child look for little things that bring him joy and thank God for those things.
• Create a gratitude jar: Once a week, have each family member write down something that happened that he or she is grateful for, and put the slip of paper in the jar. On New Year’s Eve, open the jar and read all the notes to remind your family what a wonderful year you had!
• Look for awe inspiring moments: Have your daughter thank God for the beautiful sunset, the great news a friend received, or the pretty rock she just found!
• Look for the positive: When something disappointing happens, try to help your child find a positive in the situation. If we look hard enough, we can usually find something good in a bad situation so we can turn our complaints into praises.
• Think “get to” versus “have to”: When your child has to do something he doesn’t want to, try to help him understand he “gets to” do the activity. You can gently explain that not everyone gets the opportunity he has. And “getting to” do something sounds way more exciting than “having to” do the same thing.
• Teach your child the value of time and effort: It’s easier for a child to remember to say thank you when someone gives her a gift. But we also need to teach our children to appreciate when others take time to do something for them or put thought into a gift for them. Kids need to recognize the value of time and effort.
• Teach your child to help others: When you volunteer to help others, you often see how much you have to be thankful for. You can volunteer time or resources – in fact fun ways for your child so help others over the holidays include packing a shoebox for children Samaritan’s Purse serves or picking out a toy to donate for organizations like Toys for Tots. While you’re shopping, you can explain to your child that she’s helping children whose families may need help at Christmas and (if you’re doing a shoebox) for children who may not know who Jesus is.
• Work through envy: At some point, it’s likely your child will become jealous of something a friend has. When this happens, help him work through the envy by reminding him to focus on all he has. Being grateful for what you have – and learning not to compare what you have to what others have – will serve your child well as he grows into an adult.
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Bonus Tip: Teach your child to be happy for her friends when good things happen to them. Our children need to understand life is not a competition. We all have different talents and gifts, and sometimes our friends get things or get to do things we don’t. And that’s ok! Learning to be happy for our friends not only helps us be better friends but also helps us avoid the jealousy trap.

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