November is National Gratitude Month, a time to celebrate life and give thanks for all that we have. When people reflect on what they are grateful for, they are more likely to feel satisfaction with themselves and their lives. Research has shown that gratitude has positive effects in almost every facet of one’s life. Countless studies have found that gratitude is consistently linked to decreased depression and anxiety. As far as physical health, practicing gratitude has shown to boost immunity, improve sleep quality, reduce chronic pain and prevent disease. Gratitude has even been associated with a longer life.
Gratitude is also an essential part of happiness. Read any self-help manual on happiness and practicing gratitude will be one of the essential habits of happy adults. The same is also true for children and teens. Grateful children tend to be happier, more optimistic, and have better social support. They also report more satisfaction with their schools, families, communities, friends, and themselves. Teens who practice gratitude are more satisfied with their lives and are more engaged in their schoolwork and have better grades. While research continues to prove a wide range of the positive benefits of gratitude, it’s best to see it for yourself by making it a part of your family’s daily life.
If you make a daily effort to practice gratitude with your family, your home is likely to become a more peaceful and happier place for all. Plus, gratitude has shown to strengthen relationships, so this is a great way to connect as a family. These are 3 things you can do today to create an attitude of gratitude in your home.
1. Make it a habit. The first step in creating a grateful home is to teach your children to say thank you for anything and everything. Start when they are learning to talk and it will become a habit by the time they are elementary aged. When children can verbalize gratitude in their daily interactions, they are able to see the positive effect in can have on others.
2. Use grateful language. Make it a point to express your gratitude when good things happen, even when they are minor things. When your favorite store is having a sale, you could say, “I’m so grateful for this big sale today, we are able to get an extra treat!” or if you arrived on time after a hectic commute say, “I’m so happy we made it to school on time today.” When you point out good things and give thanks, your children are more likely to do the same in their lives.
3. Create a grateful atmosphere. Establishing a daily gratitude exercise in your home is also key to creating a grateful atmosphere. Choose a time of day like dinner time or bedtime to do this. When my kids were little, we chose to do it at bedtime because we already had a routine of reading and prayer so it just fit in nicely. I started by asking my kids a question like, “What was your best moment today? ”It was simple enough for their little young minds to come up with one thing. As they have gotten older, I change it up to make it less of a chore. Recently, I asked them to name their “Top Three Things” where they said 3 things that they were most grateful for in their day.
Here are some other questions you can ask to foster gratitude.
What was your best moment today?
What was something that made you smile today?
What was the highlight of your day?
What was the best thing about school today?
What was the best thing that happened to you today?
What was the best thing that someone said to you today?
What are your top 3 best things from your day?
What person are you most grateful for today and why?
I firmly believe that practicing gratitude in my home has made a positive impact on my children. People frequently point out that they don’t hear my children complain. I think it’s because we focus so much on the positive, that it has become a habit for them. If they are sad or having a bad day, we try to find something good from the situation or their day.. This gets them in the habit of finding a silver lining in difficult situations. Whether it’s at bedtime, dinnertime or snack time, establishing a gratitude routine with your children will help them to become positive thinkers and make your home a happier place to live!!
