In a second of a series of posts on teaching kids to be grateful, Ruth Hamblen, with the Le Bonheur Center for Children and Parents, shares her thoughts on appreciating the world around us.
 
One way to teach children about gratitude is observing the multitude of blessings around us. While it’s easy to take things for granted, Hamblen reminds us “we live in a world where the majority of people do not have access to medical care or clean water. Many children live in constant fear of starvation or injury or war.”
 
Although we don’t want to burden children with the problems of the world, parents and other adults should capitalize on the sense of wonder children express.
 
Encourage the moments when children marvel at new budding flowers or a flock of geese at the park. When seasons or the weather change, observe the rain and lightning in a storm and the beauty of autumn leaves. Take walks together along the Mississippi River or through a local park.
 
“The world surrounds us with many wonderful things for which we can be grateful and that should not be taken for granted,” Hamblen says.
 
Celebrate the world around you, and your children will too.

With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, it’s easy to point to things for which we’re grateful. We have so many blessings like parents, grandparents, friends, warm coats on cold days and meals when we’re hungry. But how do you instill a sense of gratitude in your child?

Ruth Hamblen, with the Le Bonheur Center for Children and Parents, says gratitude is rooted in the need we have to be connected.

“When children are taught to say ‘thank you’ for even the smallest things, they are recognizing that someone cared enough about them to give them a cookie, pay them a compliment or help them in some way,” Hamblen said.

The kind act or word is a sign of caring, and the grateful response is a sign of recognition of that care, she says. Instilling a sense of thankfulness is an on-going task of positive modeling behavior.

Let your children see:
• you say “thank you” for the person who picks up the bag you dropped at the grocery store
• you give a friendly wave to that driver who “let you in” at that busy intersection

Hamblen also notes that it’s important to say “thank you” to your children for what they do, even if it’s what you expect them to do like picking up their clothes or putting away their toys.

“‘Thank you’ says so much...it says, ‘I recognize that you care about me, and I'm glad you are part of my world at this moment,’” she says.

Next week, Hamblen will share her thoughts on teaching children to appreciate the world around them.