10 Ways to Teach Your Kids Gratitude This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many—and with good reason. It’s a time to gather with loved ones, share a hearty meal, and give thanks for all the good in our lives, large and small. Not only is the holiday enjoyable (and delicious!) in so many ways, but it's also a great opportunity to teach children what the holiday symbolizes:gratitude.

We all want to raise children who arekind, responsible, successful, and loving. Teaching kids to practice gratitude is one of the best ways to foster those qualities.

Gratitude teaches humility and expands children’s worldview. And studies have shown that practicing gratitude can have positive effects on mental health.Let’s take a look at the benefits of teaching gratitude to our children, and how to infuse it into our lives over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Gratitude Can Offset Stress

Practicing gratitude is always in fashion, but our children are in need of it now more than ever. Living through apandemichas been stressful for everyone, but especially children.

Many families enduredjob lossand lowered income. Others lost precious loved ones to the pandemic, or are experiencing long-term health consequences as a result of contracting COVID-19. Many people have now been vaccinated, but there is still significant anxiety about COVID-19 variants.

Practicing gratitude with your kids is a wonderful way to work through the stress they are experiencing.While the world has changed in many ways since the pandemic, the basics of family connection (even when it's via video chat) and savoring a meal together have stayed the same. Highlighting this truth can be comforting for children (and adults).

More Benefits of Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude isn’t just a nice thing to do in theory. It has real, tangible benefits for both physical and mental health.Practicing gratitude may be as simple as making a conscious effort to count your blessings, writing down what you are grateful for in ajournal, sharing your gratitude with others, practicing good deeds in your community, or discussing what you are grateful for with a therapist or counselor.

Practicing gratitude may look different for everyone, and it's not something that should be forced. There’s no one right way to do it, but the benefits can be plentiful. Research has found that people who regularly practice gratitude are able to improve sleep and blood pressure,feel greater empathy and less aggression,and decrease symptoms of depression.

Ways to Teach Gratitude

There are so many ways that you can practice gratitude with your children, on Thanksgiving and beyond. Even the littlest kids can join in on some of these activities, and they should, because teaching and practicing gratitude starts young.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Research has found that keeping a gratitude journal is a meaningful way to teach and instill gratitude in us all. The basic act of writing one thing you are grateful for each day is a powerful way to reflect and commemorate the things in your life that you are thankful for. Studies have shown that you don’t even have to share what you wrote: simply writing your gratitude down is beneficial.

Donate to a Local Charity

Practicing gratitude isn’t just about recognizing the good in your own life, but extending it to others who are less fortunate than you.

让你的孩子准备食物捐给一个年代oup kitchen, or items to drop off at a homeless shelter or women’s shelter—and discussing why these places are in need of donations—is a wonderful lesson for your children. It will help them appreciate the many riches they have in life and instill in them a desire to make sure that no one goes without essentials like food, clothes, and shelter.

Go Through Your Closets and Donate

Thanksgiving is a great time to take stock of what you have, clean out your closets, and donate to others. Have your child help you go through their clothes, toys, and even items in the pantry. Have them choose items that they no longer need or want, and have them accompany you to a church, charity, or another community establishment that is accepting donations for people in need this winter.

Do a Family Gratitude Sharing Circle

Many families spend time during or after Thanksgiving dinner saying what they are grateful for. You can simply have each family member go around the table and say one thing they are grateful for.

Or you can turn this into a bit of a game, where each family member writes what they are grateful for on a slip of paper, each slip of paper is tossed into a bowl, and then the “gratitude slips” are read out loud. Guests can even guess who wrote what.

Participate in a Neighborhood Clean-Up

Keeping a community clean is a group effort, and participating in a community clean-up is a great way to give back to your community, bond with others, and also take some time to appreciate the neighborhood you live in.

Neighborhood clean-ups may be held at beaches, parks, or along the sidewalk. They are a great way to meet new people and do your part to reduce pollution and garbage build-up in your area.

Create Care Packages

Now, more than ever, we are all acutely aware of the many wonderful essential workers who live in our community and serve us all. From doctors, nurses, and firefighters to teachers and grocery store employees—there are so many people that your family can reach out to and share gratitude with.

Donate Money to a Cause You Believe In

There are so many charity organizations that are doing amazing work right now. From organizations that support families who are struggling financially, to charities that help support victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many places our kids might feel compelled to donate to.

Sit down with your child and ask them what causes are near to their heart, help them find a charity to donate to, and help them make the transaction. What a great learning opportunity, as well as a way to teach gratitude.

Make a Family Gratitude Tradition

Traditional journaling might not be the most exciting way for your family to record their thoughts of gratitude. So why not make it more tangible and creative? Have your family make a gratitude tree out of construction paper (or whatever material you wish!). Then, write down what you are grateful for on Post-Its and stick them to the tree.

你也可以使用gratitude jar, which you can decorate together. Fill the jar with gratitude notes during the week leading up to Thanksgiving, and then read them out loud during Thanksgiving dinner.

Write Thank You Notes

Besides essential workers, there are so many people in your child’s life who they might wish to thank. There is nothing more heartwarming than writing athank you note. Have your child write one to their teacher, a clergyperson, their favorite librarian, or grandparent.

Thank you notes from children don’t have to be fancy or lengthy. When your child sees how much their recipient gushes over the note, they will understand the power of a modest thank you.

Shower Gratitude On Your Children

Last, but certainly not least, spend some time telling your children how grateful you are for them.

When was the last time you thanked your child for being a good listener, forlearning from their mistakes, or for showing kindness toward others? Children certainly aren’t perfect, but spending a few moments focusing on the areas where your child shines, or where they are learning and growing, can do your child a world of good.

Feeling loved and appreciated will fill their cup, and allow them to share those sentiments with others in their lives.

A Word from Verywell

Sharing and teaching gratitude isn’t the answer to all of our challenges. Although practicing gratitude has many proven benefits, your child may still be experiencing mental health struggles as a result of the stress of the pandemic or because of the general stresses of life.

Remember, too, that practicing gratitude isn’t something that should be confined to Thanksgiving or the holiday season. Raising a well-rounded child means teaching them to see the larger world around them, to understand that not everyone has as many advantages as they do, and to remain humble. It means giving back whenever possible, donating time and money to help those in need, and appreciating the people in their community who keep things running smoothly and safely.

What’s more, regularly practicing gratitude is wonderful for your kids’ health and well-being. You can start your family’s journey toward infusing more gratitude into your lives this Thanksgiving, and then make it a practice all year long.