No matter who you are or where you come from, at the end of the day, it’s important to stay thankful and appreciate the things around you. Just like many things you must teach children as they grow, you must also teach them how to be thankful and appreciate the world around them. It’s easy to get caught up in receiving gifts around the holidays or birthdays, having endless food at family get-togethers and not stopping to think about how good we actually have it.

Especially in today’s generation, where things or food can come to your door after a simple click of a button, it’s easy to forget or not realize how hard people are working to get you the things you need.

So, how do we teach children the importance of being thankful? It’s simple, really. It all begins with you. It all begins with an adult showing and teaching children different ways they can be thankful.

Good Ways to Teach Thankfulness

Just like teaching your children to brush their teeth before bed, there are ways to implement daily or weekly tasks into their day to remind them or teach them ways to be thankful. While practicing gratitude could be as easy as asking your child to write down what they are grateful for, there are some fun ways that might make it more memorable.

Here are a few ways to teach your children ways to be thankful:

• Make it part of the bedtime routine: Right before bed, spend a little time each night sharing gratitude by asking your children what they are thankful for; it’s been proven that sharing gratitude right before bed can help with better sleep, and it’s a great way to bond and deepen your connection with your child; try building a time for sharing gratitude into your bedtime routine and do it every day to stay consistent.
• Start a gratitude jar: Pull down an old vase or an empty mason jar from the cabinets and start a gratitude jar; each day, write down one thing on a piece of paper and add it to the jar. Make sure the jar is visible for the entire family and fill it up until the end of the month; then once a month, go through your jar and name all the things and wonderful blessings in your life.
• Take gratitude walks: Take the family to the park or just a simple walk around the neighborhood and take the time to slow down, get outside and appreciate all the natural beauty around you; try doing this without looking at your phone or other distracting devices so that you can be fully present and aware of your natural surroundings.
• Encourage kids to give back: As a family, sign up to volunteer or help a friend in need; this can be something as small as giving a family member a phone call or sharing a new toy with a friend; Or, sign up with a local charity near by to volunteer as they need, which can be very rewarding.
• Write thank you notes together: A simple act of kindness, such as a thank you note can brighten someone’s day; there’s never a bad time to tell someone you appreciate them and how they have made an impact on your life. With your child, make a list of people you are grateful for like teachers, grandparents, close friends or each other. Then, make it a habit to write a thank you note for one person off your list each week or once a month. And, as a bonus, when you write thank you cards, encourage your children to draw pictures and create some beautiful works of art.
• Encourage good manners and saying thank you: While using manner helps express gratitude for others, saying thank you for small things people do for us can make our days brighter; Express appreciation to your neighbors for bringing you trash bin in from the curb for you, saying thank you to a friend for always being there to listen and thanking your mom when she bakes a special treat for when you visit.

When your children and young and their minds are still growing and learning new concepts, it’s important to remember that they are always watching and looking up to you as an example. As they learn, they are taking in every action and reaction. So, it’s important to teach ways to be kind, thankful and grateful at a young age so they can take it with them as they grow.

Benefits of Teaching Gratitude at a Young Age

Teaching young children about gratitude goes beyond a simple “thank you” – it’s about teaching them appreciation for what they have and showing empathy towards others. There are life lessons they can learn at a young age and take with them on their journey through life. Not only does teaching gratitude leave them with good life lessons, it also plays a key role in happiness and gives us inspiration to do good to others.

According to studies conducted, One Day in the Life With Women states that it “shows how people who engage in gratitude regularly experience psychological, physical and interpersonal benefits.”

Those benefits, according to the same study, include:

• Experiencing more positive emotions such as enthusiasm, love, happiness and optimism
• Being kinder and more generous to other people
• Improved relationships
• Feeling better about their lives in general
• Experiencing fewer physical problems
• Sleeping better
• Being less stressed
• Having the ability to cope with stress and stressful situations more effectively
• Being less materialistic and having the ability to differentiate between what they need and what they want

In fact, the same research shows that when you practice being thankful and showing gratitude, the cycle of negative thoughts and fears are interrupted, and therefore, you are more focused on positivity. And, by focusing and appreciating what we have in our life, we don’t dwell on the things we don’t have and we can feel more positive about our lives, which can affect the rest of our life.

Children are in their most critical years of development during the first few years of their lives. Teaching and instilling these important values from a young age are important to create life-long good habits and positive character developments. And remember – children are looking to you for guidance and to be their mentors. When you volunteer and give extra “thank you’s” at the store or out at dinner, they are watching and taking note. Later in life, they will be inspired to continue with good manners and ways of appreciating life.

So, the next time you have an opportunity to volunteer, give back or show how thankful you are to someone, take the initiative not only for yourself but for others that might be watching. In the end, being positive and showing gratitude for others can be rewarding and make you feel good about life. So, write your thank you letters, get out that gratitude jar and volunteer at a place that makes you feel like you are doing a bigger, better thing for others. These are the ways you teach children how to be thankful for things and go on to continue these positive traditions through life.