1. Engage in random acts of kindness.
Children will often spontaneously share a toy or friendly words with a teacher, friend, or relative. Notice when children are acting or speaking in a kind manner and say out loud how much you value their kindness.
Similarly, allow children to witness you modeling being helpful and kind to others in small or big ways. Children will often replicate our behavior. Noticing and participating in acts of kindness as a family allows for more connection and positive experiences, which we can all be grateful for.
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2. Spend time in nature.
Nature allows children and adults alike to slow down from the constant stimulation of day-to-day life. At a slower pace, we can become more mindful and use our senses to notice all of the beauty in the world around us. We can feel grateful for the cool, shady trees or the colors of a vivid sunset.
Keeping it simple works best. In our family, we often notice the interesting cloud patterns in the sky while walking into school, or take short walks together in the evenings. Noticing nature, even for a brief moment, allows us to appreciate the beauty that exists around us and appreciate something larger than ourselves.
3. Create a nightly reflection ritual.
After a meal, bath time and a story, children are often more relaxed and open to connection with parents. Use this time as an opportunity to reflect on the “highs” and “lows” of the day.
Parents can start by sharing their own joys and challenges, which opens up the lines of communication and encourages children to reflect and share as well. Taking time on a daily basis to think about the day and consciously focus on big and small things that went well encourages gratitude from a young age.
4. Practice mindfulness at meals.
Removing toys, electronics, and books from the table can help children focus on their food and use all of their senses to enjoy and appreciate their meal as they eat.
While eating, consider asking children to reflect on how their food came to be on their plate. For example, a strawberry didn’t just magically appear. There needed to be fertile soil, wind, sun, water, a farmer, a truck, and a market just to get the strawberry from the field to the plate. Allowing children to reflect on all that had to happen in order for the strawberry to be eaten affords a greater sense of wonder and appreciation for food.
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5. Volunteer in age-appropriate ways.
Volunteering can help children realize how fortunate they are, by giving them the opportunity to help those less fortunate. Children may have an inherent compassion for a particular cause. For example, some might feel strongly about protecting the environment; others may feel strongly toward protecting animals.
Consider your children’s natural interests and discover ways of helping that are age-appropriate. Ideas include raising money for a local animal shelter, helping out at a food bank or soup kitchen, or even running a 5K to raise money for a particular cause that touches your child’s heart.
Activities that support thankfulness need not be expensive or time-consuming. Best of all, make gratitude a daily part of your own life, and children will naturally follow suit.