Teaching gratitude to children goes beyond teaching them to respond with a “thank you. “Stimulating a sense of gratitude is, in fact, something completely different. Being grateful goes beyond good manners, it’s a mentality, a trait and a lifestyle.
Gratitude is therefore a value that every child must develop to recognize what others are doing for him, being grateful is an important personal characteristic that has other related characteristics, such as generosity and kindness.
- A grateful child is less selfish.
- An attitude that will make him much happier and put him in a better position when it comes to interpersonal relationships.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, is this a sign of noble souls?-Esopo-
Hundreds of studies agree that, among other benefits, practicing gratitude:
There is no doubt that teaching gratitude to children is a gift we can give them, but it is also a gift to those around them. Here are some strategies to teach children to be grateful.
Parents and other reference adults are the first model for children, if children see their parents behave generously, appreciating and appreciating the good things that happen, even if they are very young, they will want to follow their parents’ example.
If, on the other hand, children see their parents and other adults constantly fighting over everything, behaving rudely and nervously, without contenting themselves with anything, they will find it very difficult to understand what it means to be grateful.
It is normal for young children to be a little selfish and self-centered, and it is difficult to explain to them that the world is vast and not just to satisfy their desires.
Biologically, the ability to understand that not everything comes down to them becomes more space-free over time, however, we can also help.
We must help them see that we all have desires that, on many occasions, cannot be fulfilled, that people have opposing or incompatible desires.
Thus, not being able to satisfy a desire can generate frustration in anyone and still blind our attention to what we have, creating a world where there is only a lack.
A child who learns to share learns, at the same time, to value what he has, both in terms of things and comforts and with the people he can count on. Sharing means learning to take care of others and broaden their horizons in the world. .
In the mission of teaching gratitude to children, we want to emphasize an idea: thanking it should not just be a mechanical thing that children should learn to say when they receive something.
Even though at first? Thank you? Be only one word for the little ones, they have to gradually learn its true meaning. The habit of thanking you can gradually create an awareness and understanding of why you are grateful.
When children do something good, we have to thank them, show them the gratitude we’re trying to teach them. After all, here’s what we expect you to show other people in the same situation: thank you, it’s part of the example we have to strive to be.
In this way, children will discover that they are important and that there are simple things that please others and make people happy; in turn, they’ll also want to know what these things are compared to the people they love.
It is good to ask the child to express why he or she feels grateful, without disapproval or denying the value of anything, so it is possible to know the child better to discover his way of being and where it is needed. strengthen it to consolidate your gratitude.
Adults should also explain to children the things they are grateful for, this can expand the child’s worldview and generate dialogues that will help value the good things that happen in life.
As we have seen, teaching gratitude to children has many benefits, the problem is that it is not always a natural thing.
The negative aspects of our lives, such as disappointments, resentments and fears, often occupy our attention and do not allow us to see the positives, so we end up creating a personality trait that involves not accepting gratitude.
Robert Emmons, an academic expert in gratitude, argues, however, that the intentional development of a more grateful perspective helps us improve our level of satisfaction in life.
As we teach the children to be grateful, we will learn to notice that many good things are gifts we were fortunate enough to receive. By making appreciation a habit, we can change the emotional tone of our lives and create more space for joy and connection with others.