“Gratitude opens the door to … the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe.”
–Deepak Chopra
Gratitude is the highest spiritual trait that brings our attention to the present moment. The very moment in which we can experience love, joy, compassion, peace, and tranquility.
An attitude of gratitude means that we operate from a place of abundance instead of a place of scarcity and fear. No matter what, we always have a reason to be grateful for. Gratitude is a magical quality that we can use to increase our happiness, create loving relationships, and even improve our health.
Why an Attitude of Gratitude?
In this, we would be discussing the importance of gratitude practice. During their research, renowned psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough found that people who consciously focus on gratitude experience greater physical and emotional well-being that includes:
- Experiencing more positive emotions such as enthusiasm, love, happiness, and optimism.
- Being kind and more generous to other people.
- Improved relationships
- Increased Self-Esteem.
- Sleeping better.
- Being less stressed.
- Having the ability to cope with stress and stressful situations more effectively.
- Being less materialistic and having the ability to differentiate between what they need and what they want.
Incorporating Gratitude in your lives
Children learn by example, one of the easiest ways to incorporate a gratitude practice into your daily routine is when we as parents start doing it. Here are some practical ways to do just that:
“Storytelling is a powerful tool for behavior change and developing emotional intelligence”
-Navnish Kaur Khera
Gratitude Books
Books are a great way to
Books are a fantastic way to help children learn new skills, habits, and behaviors. Fortunately, there are many great children’s books about gratitude.
Check out a few of our favorites:
By:
With the help of a friend, Grateful Ninja learns all about cultivating an attitude of gratitude. In a 5 Day Gratitude Challenge, Grateful Ninja focuses on being thankful for the simple things in life, both big and small. Find out what happens in this comedic book about developing a heart of thankfulness.
By: Diane Alber
In A Little Thankful SPOT, you will follow a little yellow SPOT around as he shows you what he’s thankful for in hopes that it will inspire YOU to write your very own THANKFUL list! From everyday activities like reading and stomping in puddles to the joy he has with his big HAPPY family, you will start to think about all that YOU’RE thankful for.
Gratitude Activities for Kids
Gratitude Jar
Keep a gratitude jar at an accessible place. There are numerous jars available online. However, you can make your very own DIY gratitude jar at home and let the kids decorate it with their favorite colors or stickers. Each day, ask everyone including yourself to write down one thing they’re thankful for and put it in the jar. You can utilize this to reflect during difficult times. Meanwhile, you can browse through these jars if you want one.
Gratitude Walks
Take a gratitude walk together look for things to be grateful for, like the beautiful leaves, the smell of rain, the color of flowers, etc.
Gratitude Letters/Cards
Ask the kids to write letters of gratitude to community helpers, such as police officers, firefighters, school administrators, bank tellers, and hospital employees.
Thank You Cards
Another great way of inculcating gratitude is to write thank-you letters to grandparents, to a special teacher or pediatrician.
Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal for kids is an amazingly easy and consistent way of promoting this healthy habit for a lifetime. Set them in the right direction by asking them to write down a few things that they are grateful for each day. There are some great gratitude journals available on amazon that you can order for less than $10.
Click on the image to see details:
By: Modern Kid Press
The 3 Minute Gratitude Journal is our favorite. Firstly, it is a self-exploration journal designed to focus on being thankful for what we have, the big things in life, as well as the simple joys. In addition, each spread is well designed and kid-friendly which contains space to list out three things you are thankful for, a person who brought you joy and how you felt about your day. Moreover, there is also a blank space provided for kids to draw in.
By: Creative Journals for Kids
Firstly, there are simple daily prompts that make the journal easy to use and thought-provoking at the same time. Most importantly, every page is split into half—the top half for writing and the bottom half for drawing.
The Takeaway
Although, there are numerous gratitude books, workbooks, apps, and premade journals available in the market, do your due diligence and zero down on the techniques and methods you want to use to develop an attitude of gratitude.
What activities will you commit to implementing so that you can realize the health benefits of gratitude and inculcate this virtue in your kids?
