Why Gratitude is Important for Children to Learn

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, this is the time of year for family, friends, and a chance to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for.  The rush of the holiday season is coming up, and with all of the toy stores and media talking about things to buy, it’s very easy to forget about the true meaning of the holiday season.  Now is also the perfect time to teach children about gratitude and appreciating the small things in life. 

 Many researchers have actually discovered that gratitude is directly linked to our level of happiness.  In “A Lesson in Thanks,” psychologist Jeffery Froh writes about a study he conducted in a middle school in which he attempted to measure the levels of happiness in students who were asked to reflect on things they were thankful for versus students who reflected on things that annoyed them and a control group.  He discovered that the students who wrote down everything they were grateful for experienced “higher levels of optimism, increased life satisfaction, and decreased negative feelings.” He also believed that gratitude is something that needs to be practiced regularly, and “the time to start practicing gratitude is when you’re young.”  It’s never too early to teach kids how to be grateful.

 Spending time outdoors with family and friends is the best way to learn how to appreciate the important things in life.  There are many ways to become more aware of showing gratitude and appreciation.  In the article, “A Scientific Reason to Stop and Smell the Roses,” psychology professor Nancy Fagley believes that people should “focus on and value what they have, spend time outdoors, and reflect on their blessings and relationships with others.” This is something that camp can really help children work on.  Summer camp allows children to spend time outside with each other, building strong relationships, and takes them away from their electronics and other forms of media.  By doing this, they focus less on what they have and more on spending time creating meaningful connections with other children and adults.

 Christine Carter – a sociologist and author of Raising Happiness, reminds us that “practicing gratitude, not just at Thanksgiving but year-round, can make for happier families.” It is often very difficult for children to find opportunities to practice gratitude. It’s important to look for small ways to incorporate showing gratitude into everyday life on a regular basis to give children the chance to recognize it. 

For more information about teaching gratitude to children, see: 

 Seven Ways to Foster Gratitude in Kids

 Teaching Kids Gratitude Instead of Entitlement