Raising Grateful Kids
Most of us would like our kids to express\u2014 and feel\u2014 more gratitude. But yelling \u201cThere are children in India who don\u2019t even have XBoxes!\u201d doesn\u2019t seem to be sufficiently getting the message across. Kids are kids; they lack perspective by definition. Practicing gratitude means having the ability to imagine a reality other than one\u2019s own, and that might take a while. Researchers Blaire Morgan and Liz Gulliford explain it this way in their book Developing Gratitude in Children and Adolescents:\n\nIt is largely agreed that gratitude is not inbuilt; instead it develops over time, as certain capacities become available and cognitive abilities mature\u2026 it requires a great deal of practice.\n\nStill, gratitude really matters, and our kids having that skill isn\u2019t just about bonus parenting points for us. Our children will have better lives if they\u2019re more grateful. Seriously, studies. Parenting expert Jennifer Wallace says gratitude creates \u201can upward spiral of positive emotions,\u201d and who doesn\u2019t want those?\nSo: until that attitude of gratitude comes naturally, how do we get our kids to say \u201cthank you\u201d like they mean it? Maybe even remember to do so unprompted once in a while?\xa0In this episode, we discuss specific ways to build a practice of gratitude with (and for) your kids, at all ages and stages.\nHere\u2019s links to the studies and other writing on gratitude discussed in this episode:\nJennifer Breheny Wallace for the Wall Street Journal: How To Raise More Grateful Children\nHoma Navangar for PBS Parents: Ten Ways To Raise a Grateful Kid\nMaryam Abdullah for Greater Good Magazine: How To Help Gratitude Grow in Your Kids\nMayim Bialik for today.com: Why I Don\u2019t Force My Kids To Say \u2018Please\u2019\nThe Effects of Botox Injections on Emotional Experience\n\xa0\n\xa0\n\xa0\n\xa0\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices