LISTS
plenty to be
thankful for
8 WAYS TO TEACH
TOTS GRATITUDE
Lead by example. Children are
quick to mimic their parents’ behavior,
so make a point of expressing your
own gratitude when kindness is shown
or a gift given. Children will learn to
follow suit quickly and it will stay with
them throughout their li ves.
2
“Please” and “Thank you” go a long,
long way. A baby’s first words may be
mama or dada, but it’s never too early to
put please and thank you in a child’s
vocabulary.
3
For Thanksgiving, ask
young children to make
a list of five things they
are grateful for and
also ask them to draw a
picture that expresses the
sentiment.
4
Kids are
fascinated by
parking meters,
so the next
time you are in
a downtown
shopping
district and
you’re ready to
leave, invite your
child to put some
extra money in the
meter for the next
shopper who comes
along.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | (201) FAMILY
5
While children are making their holiday
wish lists, ask them to also make a list of gifts
they would like to give to the special people
in their lives. It will teach them to be unselfish
and to consider others’ wants and needs.
6
Create a box of homemade thank-you
notes. Kids are always looking for an art
project, so why not make something useful?
The thank-you note will seem like less of a
chore if it’s created for fun rather than by
responsibility. Then, it will be given with
pride and love as a token of esteem.
7
One good turn deservers another.
If your child is on the receiving end of
a kindness, encourage the child to
return it when it’s least expected.
The element of surprise will
make it more like a game and
you can plot when it will
take place, reinforcing the
message.
8
The glass is
almost always half
full. If children are
taught to be positive
from a young age,
they will see a world
full of opportunity and
potential. In turn, they
will be naturally grateful
for life’s beauty and be
inclined to be open to its
infinite possibilities. ●
– COMPILED BY
AMELIA DUGGAN
201magazine.com
BRIAN A. JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
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