Some Suggests To Help Encourage Gratitude
~Manners are really the first place we should start. Manners show that we don’t feel we are just entitled to things, just because. Encourage saying please and thank you every day. Offer gentle reminders where needed. Talk to them directly about why it is important to use good manners. And remember, kids want our approval, so noticing when they do nice things can go a long way. “I really liked the way you said thank you earlier.”
~Teach kindness. Model kind behavior, call it out when you see it, notice when your child does something kind. Some suggestions are: give compliments, volunteer, donate something, pick up trash, help a family member with a chore-the list is endless really.
~If the you notice a beautiful sunset or tree or flower, comment on it. Encourage your child to look for amazing things and share them with you. Noticing gives each moment a new, fresh quality and sharing what you notice spreads the feeling. Try these:
- Take turns at dinner sharing one special thing from your day
- At bedtime, say three things you appreciate about each other
- In the car, play a game where you say all the things you love (color, food, movie, hobby, school class, sport, song, etc)
- Every week share one nice thing you will do for someone this week
~Look for the positive in all things. It’s about shifting the mindset from positive to negative. It might be helpful to start to see the positive in things —even if things don’t turn out the way we want. You can start by: Asking questions that help your child see another side of a bad situation.
Playing a game where you always rephrase a complaint to something positive.
