Four Ways to Teach Your Children How to Express Gratitude

by Kate Eschbaugh on October 26th, 2018 | No Comments »

In our rushed schedule, we can get very distracted by deadlines and to-do lists. Looking down at our phone, we breeze past the person at the grocery store that just held the door open for us. When we practice expressing gratitude, we shift our focus from ourselves to others. We teach our children to be thankful, rather than complaining about what is going wrong around them.

4 Ways To Teach Children to Express Gratitude

Here are a few ways I teach my children to express gratitude:

1. Start Close to Home

Choose someone in their life to say thank you to. For my kids, this is usually their teacher. It is easy to talk about the sacrifices their teachers make in order for them to learn. Choosing someone that they know see a lot will open their eyes to others in their lives that they can say thank you to as well!

2. Thank You Notes

This one may seem old fashioned, but teaching your kids to take some time on a Sunday afternoon to thank people who have given you something or spent time with you is a habit that will carry into adulthood. When they sit down to write the note, take time to coach them through why they are writing a note. It isn't just about what they received —the stuff. It is about the thoughtfulness and kindness of the person.

3. Thank Your Children

When your child does something right, tell them thank you! Maybe they remembered to pick up their wet towel off the floor after they have forgotten this for two weeks. Tell them! Say thank you! When they hear it, they will learn to say it.

4. Smile—It's Contagious

Easy, right? That is your assignment for this week. Smile! Look your kids in the eyes, tell them something that makes them special and why you are grateful for them, and smile! It is contagious!

What are a few ways that you teach your children to be grateful?

Picture courtesy of Flickr

Kate is a photographer, enjoys the art of handwritten correspondence and may break out into musical numbers at any time. She loves Jesus, her family and her chai tea latte. She looks for beauty everywhere. Kate blogs at Songs Kate Sang and shares photography tips at Create+Focus. She would love for you to stop by!

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Kate Eschbach

Kate writes a lifestyle legacy blog named Songs Kate Sang and is a professional photographer. She enjoys handwritten correspondence, and may break out into musical numbers at any time. She and her husband Brian have been married since 1999. They have three children - Julia, 14, Nate, 11, and Riley, 3 + one on the way. She is a Texas girl and has lived in Arizona for 5 wonderful (and hot!) years. Kate writes from the heart about adoption and miscarriage. She is passionate about encouraging and serving others!