GIVING THE Gratitude Attitude TO YOUR CHILD
Gratitude is one of the trickiest concepts to teach toddlers and preschoolers – who are by nature self-centered – but one of the most important . Sure , thankful children are more polite and pleasant to be around , but there ’ s more to it than that . By learning gratitude , they become sensitive to the feelings of others , developing empathy and other life skills along the way . Grateful kids look outside their oneperson world and understand that their parents and other people do things for them -- prepare dinner , give out hugs , buy toys . On the flip side , kids who aren ’ t taught to be grateful end up feeling entitled and perpetually disappointed .
When Do Kids Get It ?
Toddlers are by definition completely egocentric . Still , children as young as 15 to 18 months can begin to grasp concepts that lead to gratitude . They start to understand that they are dependent ; that Mom and Dad do things for them . In other words , toddlers comprehend that they are separate human beings from their parents , and that Mom and Dad often perform actions to make them happy ( from playing peekaboo to handing out cookies ) – even if kids that age can ’ t articulate their appreciation .
By age 2 or 3 , children can talk about being thankful for specific objects , pets , and people . If they are not completely verbal , a toddler of this stage of development can point to who they are thankful for as a family engages in this practice together . By age 4 , children can understand being thankful not only for material things like toys but for acts of kindness , love , and caring .
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