5 Ways to Help Kids Be Grateful

The holiday season is upon us which is always a great reminder to be extra grateful for our blessings.

As adults we understand the magnitude of how a helping hand and kind action can impact another person’s life. But do our children comprehend the importance of being kind and grateful (and not just during the holiday season)?

Let’s help teach our children to be thankful for all that they have and show them how acts of kindness can go a long way.

Try these 5 easy ideas to start raising caring children: (And for more ideas, see these amazing gratitude activities for kids and family)

Thankful prayer at dinner (or any meal time)

This "prayer" doesn’t have to be long, memorized, or religion oriented. It’s an expression of gratitude for all that is in front of you. You can each say something or have a designated person for each day to say what they are thankful for.

If you have smaller children, you can ask them what they were happy about that day. We like to recite this prayer: "Thank you for the food before, the family and friends beside us and the love between us."

A gratitude jar

Gratitude jars are a fun, creative and interactive way for your kids to practice being thankful. Have them decorate a jar, put it in a special spot and have them write one thing they were grateful for that day and put it in the jar. This is an easy activity and can be fun and uplifting to read them all at the end of the year to truly see what a great year it was!

Model taking care of friends and neighbors

Your kids watch your every move so make sure your actions are illustrating kindness! Help your neighbor with yard work or pull in their trash bins without them asking. Bring dinner to a friend who has had a rough week. Go old school and send a thank you letter in the mail. Show your kids how to be selfless and include them in these simple acts of kindness.

Try a Thankful Tree

This is perfect for the holidays (but can be done all year round!). Have each child write down or draw a picture on a "leaf" of something that they were grateful for that day. Stick the leaves on the empty tree branches and try to fill up the tree. This activity is great for little ones as it’s more visual. Trees can be as artistic as you want and if you’re not creative you can purchase one.

Donate toys

Clear out the kids' rooms of toys and donate them to a charity or organization that can truly utilize them. Your kids should be a part of the full process--deciding which toys to give (no broken or worn out pieces), choosing which organization to give to, and dropping off the items. While cleaning out, talk to your child(ren) about why it’s important to help others in need, why another might like that specific toy etc.

These ideas can all be adjusted to better fit your family, but the important thing is to just start incorporating simple moments to show and discuss the importance of helping others with our actions and words and being appreciative of everything they have. Let’s teach our children to be helpful, grateful and happy people in the world.

Jenn writes at her blog healthyhappyimpactful.com. She’s a mom of three looking to learn and grow. Check it out if you love helpful tips on health, family, and personal growth.