How can we cultivate gratitude in ourselves and others?
A few years ago a friend of mine with young children asked my advice about how to help her children appreciate the good life they had, a life full of love and comfort.
She told me that when she looked at the ads of children in magazines, the models looked bored and pouty.
- How, she asked, do I avoid raising children like that?
- How do I help my children understand and count their blessings?
I’ll share two ideas I suggested to her.
Download the article and audio recording below:
Leave a put-into-into-action comment below about how you are going use these ideas.
Have some other ideas to share?
Love this advice! I hope to use the Gratitude Attitude when grandkids are asking lots of good questions at a bad time – like when I’m facing my ultimate challenges in the kitchen. A great time to appreciate their curiosity – as you suggested! Thanks, Maren
Raya,
If only we could have the grandchildren’s energy!
This is a good reminder to see each child, in my class and at home, in their best light and to focus on what he/she is doing well rather than what I wish they would stop doing. Also gives me the opportunity to look around and see how I might redirect that child to better use their “gift”. i.e. the energetic child in class today who just absolutely could not sit down to sing was happy to use that energy to walk back and forth to set the table for snack for his classmates.
Machelle,
Sometimes it is hard to see past all that energy! Our children so want to help.
Thanks for seeing that!
I love this! Such a great reminder to start a “Thankfulness Ritual” at the end of the day, thanking people daily. It is also a great reminder to say, “You are welcome.”
This is also a reminder to model thankfulness! Thank you Maren for this reminder and for being so available to educators and parents.
Lisa,
Thank you for being on the front lines working with our children.
I’m a cheerleader of the work you do!
Thank you for the reminder that the “crabby” habit is just that, and that what we focus on grows. This is increasingly important as the days grow shorter and colder, meaning more time in the house! Instead of constantly reminding my 4 year old of the rules, I smile and open my arms when I’m feeling the most exasperated…that’s what he’s after anyway. 🙂
Yes, “Momma-time” works miracles!
Thank you. I so need this video and this reminder being a mom and an assistant teacher in a Montessori school.
Glad it came at a good time, Phyllis!
First of all, Maren, I want to thank you personally for all the encouraging and practical tips! And to put this into action, I find so many things to be grateful for in our children. Sometimes, a “Thank you, Liam,” is in order. This 3 year old finds things on the floor, runs to get a brush and dust pan and starts cleaning. So many little things may go unnoticed if we are not watching for them.
Erlene,
As I say, “Catch’em doing something right!”
Saying thank you is a great catch.
Thanks for being a Kids Talk Reader.
We are trying a gratitude challenge (actually easy when you cut it into pieces). We are naming 100 things that we are grateful for – ten each day for 10 days. We put them in 10 categories: 10 abilities I am grateful for, 10 possessions I am grateful for, 10 living people I am grateful for, 10 people who lived in the past who I am grateful for, 10 things in nature I am grateful for, 10 things about today I am grateful for, 10 places on earth I am grateful for, 10 modern inventions I am grateful for, 10 foods I am grateful for, 10 spiritual blessings I am grateful for. This doesn’t begin to scratch the surface. We kept going when we did this last year after we reached 100 and added a few more days: Colors I am grateful for, things that grow, work in our classroom, teachers and staff in my school, things I can do with my feet, things I can do with my hands, things I like to do with my family, etc.
Mari,
Beautiful!
Your videos and Kids Talks inspire me and to move forward with the work I do with the children. Thank you with much appreciation.
Margaret, thank you for your work with children. What challenging times we are in right now, and children are so at risk of losing out on developmental experiences.
Keep up the good work! Happy Holidays!