How It Works
Why does saying thank you have so many benefits for us ? When we count our blessings , we interrupt the cycle of negative and fearful thoughts , which allows the stress system in our bodies to recover . Research shows that when we are thankful , we love our lives and want to make sure we stick around long enough to enjoy them . Also , when we receive praise from others , our brain releases the chemical dopamine , which encourages us to do more to receive such praise . This makes us want to thank others and make them feel good as well .
How To Teach Children Gratitude
In her book 10 Mindful Minutes , Goldie Hawn explains that being thankful is not a natural instinct ; children need to be taught how to do it . She asks parents to be a good example to their children by thanking them often . It is important to explain to our children why they are being praised . Another important tip is to be careful not to judge how our children express gratitude . Young children under age 7 may not fully grasp the concept . It is not what they are thankful for but that they are learning how to express gratitude that matters . If they want to be thankful for a toy , that is okay .
Keeping a gratitude journal is the backbone of gratitude scientific research . Anytime you read about gratitude , you will be asked to write down five points you are thankful for that day or week on an ongoing basis . Over time , you will begin to experience the benefits of gratitude such as stress reduction and optimism .
I tried the traditional journal approach when I first learned about gratitude and it did not work for me . I found it repetitive and boring , to be perfectly blunt . This is why I started my nightly ritual of the gratitude prayer with my children . That works for us , but each family needs to discover what is most effective for them . Plus , you don ’ t want it to become an annoying chore – it is supposed to make you happier after all !
Here are some ideas for fun , creative gratitude journals using a variety of media . As technology changes and our children learn more about what they can do with computers , tablets and smartphones , we should show them how to use these tools for something positive – for making them feel better .
5 Ways To Keep Gratitude Journals With Your Kids
1 . Blog My son just started getting writing assignments in second grade using a student blog site . He loves seeing his words online and gets so excited when classmates comment on his posts . Why not set up a family gratitude journal blog ( password protected , of course )? You can even involve grandparents and cousins , no matter how far they live . You could introduce this idea at the Thanksgiving table and challenge everyone to submit a post each week throughout the year .
2 . Audio Recording Children love to hear their own voices . You can have them record their journal on a phone or tablet . Once you have the recordings , you can get really creative by posting them online for others to listen to or you can even put it to music and create a song or rap using highlights of what they said .
3 . Videos Children also love watching videos of themselves . My daughter can spend hours watching herself on my phone . They will have a blast talking about what they are thankful for and watching it over and over . Maybe have them pretend to be reporters and their gratitude is the news of the day . Or they can act out scenes from the wonderful moments they had .
4 . Drawings For children who are more visual or artistic , ask them to draw or paint what they are thankful for at the time . You can then put the artwork together in a book organized by month or year . Create your own handmade journal or take pictures and use Snapfish or an online slideshow to present the images .
5 . Collage Looking for pictures in magazines or online to build a gratitude collage is a fun family project . And no artistic talent is required ! All that cutting is also a great way for your child to build fine motor skills .
I hope you enjoy saying thank you with your children in these innovative ways . You can mix and match these media as well , such as posting videos on your gratitude blog .
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