Want to Raise a Grateful Child? Do These 5 Things Regularly

According to Harvard Health Publishing of the Harvard Medical School, “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” The benefits to giving thanks are proven and sweeping. Researchers have found that people who give thanks feel better, are more optimistic, exercise more, and have fewer trips to the doctor. One study found that a special thank you letter increased the happiness of the writer for an entire month.

In an age when the anxiety level, depression rate, and demands upon our youth are concerning, nurturing gratitude can produce timely—and healing—results. Children are grateful when they are aware of their blessings. Helping to ground them, informing their lens of the world, and encouraging their recognition of God and others are essential to building that awareness. Accordingly, here are five lessons that you can use to grow a grateful heart in your child:

1. Encourage Children to Help around the House

The sighs are audible in our house when I ask my children to help fold the laundry, even though they produce the most of it! Regardless, my husband and I encourage household chores as a function of living in our home—everyone contributes and everyone makes a difference. Doing chores gives children a sense of accomplishment, prepares them for the future, and helps them appreciate the work that goes into family life. That appreciation, in turn, promotes gratitude.

Do you feel like you are running yourself ragged in exhaustion while your children are increasing their requests? Asking children to help in age-appropriate ways will free you up for more while keeping them busy. Braun Research found that 82 percent of adults did chores as children while only 28 percent of children do them today. Giving children a free pass squanders a precious learning opportunity. By teaching them responsibility, we cultivate gratitude in the home, their primary place of teaching.

For the other four lessons, continue reading here.