How to Raise Grateful Kids

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By CCrock
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A Thankful Heart by MORGAN WEISTLING

Thanksgiving is a holiday that comes once a year, but the idea of being thankful should be something that we embrace year round. So much emphasis is placed on what material goods we have, how nice our family car is, how big our house is, how many toys we have...etc. Between TV commercials and trips to the store, it can be hard to not get sucked in to the feeling of needing to buy buy buy! It can be especially hard for children who can feel left out if they don't have something that a friend at school has. Everything these days is instant and we all struggle to fight the desire for instant gratification. How can we raise grateful kids in a world where we are blessed with so much, yet are always still wanting more?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Count Your Blessings by Blackwater Folk Art

Teach them songs like "Count you Blessings". Whenever they start to complain or whine about not having something that someone else has, rather than get mad or irritated, start singing the chorus as a reminder. "Count your blessings name them one by one...count your blessings see what God has done! Count your blessings name them one by one, And it will surprise your what the Lord has done..." See the resources for a link to the complete lyrics.
Step 2

Thansgiving Journal

Keep a thankful journal. Have a journal for "counting your blessings". Whenever you find yourself or your kids feeling down about anything, list a few things you are grateful for. This is a good practice for parents and children alike, as it will get you, the parent in the habit of thinking about the things you have to be grateful for and pass your positive outlook on life to your children. We teach by what we do, not by what we say. So if we are complainers, but telling our kids to be grateful for all the things they are blessed with, we are sending a mixed message. Be consistent in talking with an attitude of gratitude and your kids will do the same. If you find yourself complaining, then make yourself list 5 things to be grateful for in the "Blessings Journal" or whatever you want to call it, and talk about it with you family, perhaps over dinner.
Step 3

Help Kids in Distress

Get them involved in goodwill projects, where they have the opportunity to see and help others who are less fortunate. This will help put things in perspective in a powerful way. If they really want a new toy, make them pick out a toy to donate to a less fortunate child. This not only keeps your home from becoming overflowed with toys and clothing, but it is a reminder to your children to be grateful they are getting something new.
Step 4

Operation Christmas Child

Adopt a family for Christmas or participate in Operation Christmas Child and have your kids help pack the shoebox and pick out items for a child who may have never received a Christmas gift before. If you have older children/teens, consider taking them on a mission trip to a third world country, where you can only take 2 outfits, one to wear and one to clean. When you leave, you leave one outfit behind for someone in the village. What an amazing and powerful way to help your kids realize the abundance of things they have to be grateful for and open their eyes to the over-indulgent, consumer obsessed ways of our culture. They will come home looking at their closet and drawers full of clothes in a new light. The mission trip does not have to be to a third world country to be effective though, even traveling to an area within the country to help with disaster relief would be a good character building experience.
Step 5

Kids Money Management

Practice patience & teach your children about money. With all our cool technology that makes getting what we want so easy and instant (and credit cards really play a part here too), waiting to buy something may seem foreign to some people. Before you go to the store, make a list of everything you will be getting and stick to it. If you kid sees something they really want, rather than say "we can't afford it", just tell them "well, that is not in our budget this month, but if it is something that you really want, we can work it into our budget for next time". Lead by example by sticking to the list yourself. When you can teach your children about respecting money by planning for purchases and sticking to a budget, they will be more grateful for what they get. Especially if they have to wait for it, teaching them to avoid impulse buying which can lead to unhappiness down the road.
Step 6

Everyone pitches in. Have a family chore chart and make sure everyone in the family is helping out around the house. Even a toddler can help set the table by getting the place mats out of the drawer and putting them on the table. When your kids get an idea of how much work goes into keeping a household, they will be more aware that people have to work to get things done, food doesn't magically appear on the table and laundry doesn't fold itself. This will help kids to appreciate the things that are done for them, even if they don't appreciate it while they are helping out with chores, they will still get a sense of how much mom and dad or their other caretakers do for them.

Comments

starrwd said

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on 6/24/2009 I love this article. Trying to instill a sense of gratitude in my children is something that I think about a lot. These are all fabulous ways to teach our children this important value. Thankful people are happy people. l

FrazzledNanny said

on 1/15/2009 Thanks for the wonderful article. Great ideas and tips. 5*s

pearlyvictoria said

on 11/16/2008 I especially agree with the adopt a family and teaching about how to handle money. When we learn to share, we are less prone to being selfish. I think your approach to the budget issue is kind and lessens the negative impact of why you won't purchase something. But some families do not have options to list something on the budget nest time and need to be upfront about family finances. Other options, though, probably exist for anyone in that position. Thanks for a well written article. You should do more.