How to be grateful and teach gratitude to children

A grateful child is a happy child. A thankful adult is a happy adult. Gratitude is so simple to learn and I have found that it weaves magic in our lives.

So often we only focus on what is wrong with our lives and miss the beauty that is around us.

A friend of mine committed to 100 days of gratitude and made lists of everything she was thankful for. Reading her notes, I really noticed how those 100 days changed her life. She was happier, more alive and positive.

I am going to commit to 100 days of gratitude starting from today. Will you join me?

Get a beautiful notebook and start to notice little things that make you happy and things that you are grateful for that you might normally miss.  It is great to get the children involved at home or in your classroom.

Here are some ideas.

Encourage children to say please and thank you often.

Ask children to notice what they are grateful for and write it down in their notebook.

Sit around the dinner table regularly and tell each other what you are grateful for.

Ask your child to donate one of their toys to someone less fortunate than themselves, so helping them understand how lucky they are and help them share.

Encourage your child to write thank you notes when they go to parties or receive gifts.

Sometimes its nice to write a thank you note or a special note without an occasion.