Teaching Children Thankfulness

There are a lot of kids out there that feel entitled nowadays. Many children expect candy or gifts if they're quiet during church, behave at the supermarket, for their birthdays, and during many holiday celebrations. While children often receive many gifts, they don't always remember to show their appreciation. Here are some ideas for getting your children to be more thankful.

Demonstrate Thankfulness Yourself

Do you show appreciation when someone does something nice for you? Do you say "thank you" when someone holds the door for you or helps you with something? Do you send thank you cards? Your children are watching. If you are thankful, they will be more likely to follow in your footsteps.

Teach A Child "Thank You" at an Early Age

When a child learns early that it is appropriate to say "thank you," they will be more likely to say it throughout their lives. Even nonverbal toddlers can be taught to say thank you in sign language. When you are with your child and they receive something, prompt them to say thank you if they forget. They may not completely grasp the concept of thankfulness yet (in the words of my daughter to my son once, "thank you means 'yay! I got it!'"), but they will get into the habit of expressing thanks.

Help Your Child Write Thank You Notes

The next time your child receives a gift, have them write a thank you note. If your child is not old enough to write but old enough to talk, he or she can dictate a note to you or draw a picture. The note doesn't have to be fancy, just include a sentence of thanks, and maybe a note or two on why they like the gift so much.

Practice Consideration For Others

At a child's birthday party and at Christmas, a child may receive a lot of gifts. There may be some gifts that they do not like as well as others. Talk to your child ahead of time and explain that when people give gifts, they are hoping that the child will enjoy the gift and will be happy to receive it. Practice what to say if they open a gift and discover that they already have the item, or don't know what the gift is.

Help Others In Need

No matter what your situation is, there is always someone who is worse off than you in some area. One way to teach your children to be thankful what they have is to help others. Volunteer at a hospital, nursing home, or soup kitchen. If you are not able to make a regular commitment, there are often short term volunteer opportunities, especially around the holidays or after a natural disaster. Seeing others who do not have it as well as they do is a good way to foster gratitude.

Even though children are often self-centered, they can be taught to be thankful and to think about others. It will help your child become more thoughtful, learn selflessness, and become more beautiful on the inside.