It’s already November and Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner! You and your family are likely having conversations about the things you are thankful for. It is so important, especially nowadays, to raise your children that understand what it means to be thankful. We believe this should start at an early age. So, the big question is, how do you teach young children to give thanks? Here are 5 awesome ways to raise your kids to be thankful:
Thanksgiving Crafts
Crafts are a great way to get your children excited about anything you may be trying to teach them. That also applies to raising them to be thankful! Many gratitude crafts revolve around your child having to think of and write down things that they’re thankful for. This makes expressing gratitude feel fun and creative. Here are some awesome ideas on Pinterest that you could try at home.
Waking Up Grateful
Another great way to raise thankful children is by having them wake up grateful. That means that as soon as their little eyes open in the morning, encourage them to think of two or three things that they’re immediately grateful for; the sunshine, pancakes for breakfast, their teacher, and friends at school. There are tons of things they can express their gratitude towards, first thing in the morning!
Going to Sleep Grateful
Of course, if we can teach our kids to wake up grateful, we should also teach them to go to sleep grateful! This can be expressed through their bedtime prayers or even a conversation between you and them before you say goodnight. Challenge them to name two or three things that happened to them during the day that have made them especially thankful. It’s a great way for them to express gratitude while also learning about their day!
Thankful Gifts
Many children love gifting things to the people they love! There’s a special joy that it brings them, especially when they’ve picked the gift out themselves. If your child has two or three people in their life that they are thankful for, having them pick out a small gift to show their gratitude is a great idea. This will teach them that showing gratitude isn’t just done through words but actions as well.
At Connection Point, we are so thankful for the families we get to partner with. We love being able to help instill basic things like gratitude in your children. For more information about how we can partner with you and your family, visit our website!