Gratitude is a powerful mindset for anyone to have. It cultivates contentment, abundance, uplifts moods, shifts perspective, and opens up more opportunities to be grateful for. Gratitude goes beyond saying that we are thankful but a belief that we truly blessed.

Teaching children about thankfulness early on helps them to be happier and appreciative, reduces feelings of envy and comparison, makes them to become more optimistic, and deepens relationships.

Here are some of the ways to instill this attitude in children.

Gift them with a gratitude journal

There is power in writing down things. It brings words to life. Reflecting on positive experiences can add more of that in their lives.

Get them a journal from bookstores which they can deliver at your doorstep as you safely stay at home, if you can. Or have a simple unwritten notebook they can use specifically for gratitude journaling.

Creating a habit of writing down five or even more things they are grateful for every day before they go to sleep, makes for happier children.

Remind them of their blessings during difficult times

If we want something to be unhappy about, we will find it. If we want something to be grateful for, we will always find them.

When they are sad about a thing, it is best that we acknowledge their feelings. You can also ask them what they are happy about. This could lift their vibrations.

Help them to be giving

Giving gets our minds to think that what we have is in plenty, and that it is more than enough. Volunteer with them. Help them to share items with others. Giving brings out gratitude.

Create a gratitude mantra

Come up with a mantra with your child. The positive affirmations on this such as “I am blessed”, “I have many things to be grateful for”, “I have everything I need”, “I appreciate everything in my life”, steeps a child in a thankful mindset. Help them come up with their own too. This can become a constant point of reference to them throughout their life.

Refrain from complaining in front of them

Embody gratitude too. Talk more about what you love and less of what you dislike, especially in front of children. The little ones have huge superpowers of detecting whenever we are feeling off. It could then pass onto them.

If we complain less, we nurture the attitude of thankfulness in them.

Talk to them about gratitude

Always make them believe that there is more than enough. Whenever we run out of an item in the house, you could say something like, “we will get it next time” instead of “we do not have it.”

Teach them to notice the things to be grateful for, explain the need to be grateful, and how to express gratitude in everyday life. Teaching a child to view the world from a perspective of appreciation and not of scarcity.

Use the words “please” and “thank you”

When children hear the two words genuinely spoken a lot, it shows that one, respect and lack of entitlement. Therefore we can ask by using the word “please.” Two, we are grateful for what it is that we get.

Thank them too when they help out at home.

Help them to care for stuff

Teaching them to care for the things they own projects an appreciation for those things. It will impart responsibility. These two is a manifest of gratitude mindset whereas taking things for granted is not.

Read books about gratitude to your child

Children can also learn through reading. Get books which talk about thankfulness. As they interact with characters and experience different situations on gratitude through a book, it will encourage them to be thankful too.

Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” – Charles Scribner, Jr.

Many studies show that the best time to start reading to babies is when they are unborn. At about six months in the womb, babies can listen when they are read to. Reading to them when they are young inculcates a lifelong love for books. As they are born into a world of pleasurable reading environment, it becomes second nature for them to show interest in books.

Reading has lots of benefits to children. They get to learn new words each time, become knowledgeable of the world, gives them the words to express themselves, sparks vivid imaginations, helps them develop empathy, brings out more curiosity, teaches them values, and so on.

Here are simple ways to instill a lifelong love for reading in a child.

• Read. Children emulate what they see their parents doing. Having a genuine enthusiasm for books and seeing you read will reflect in their actions as well.
• Create a reading routine that suits both you and the child. Say, in the morning or moments before tucking them to bed. Read to them daily. Even as they grow older and learn to read on their own, make time to continue doing so together.
• On the first day that you read to them, allow them the time to interact with the book. Allow them to turn the pages and to see the pictures.
• Read out aloud to them. Ask them to sound out the words too. It helps in learning new words faster, makes the activity more engaging, and gives life to words. Move your hands along each word you read.
• Children have a short attention span. Dedicating a 20-minute book session a day is enough for them. You can extend the time as they grow older.
• Have reading be creative and fun. Make sounds, faces, use gestures and involve them in that for practical reading.

• Visit bookstores with them and allow them to select books that they find appealing. Instead of buying books and give them at home, regularly going to the bookstores together whenever you want to get them a book is empowering. They will know where to buy books on their own when they are older. Bookstores too will create long-lasting fond memories for them.
• Expose them to a wide range of genres. Get classical, folklores, historical, adventure, poetry, picture books, and so on to expand their thinking, interest and knowledge of the world.
• Talk about books with them in a way that depicts reading to be fun, endless and relaxing adventure.
• Listen as they talk about books. Ask questions about the books you are reading to them. Discuss about the books you are reading too.
• If a child is fussy, unwell, is unexcited about books or does not want to read on a certain day, respect their choice. To be able to impart a love for reading, reading should not be forced upon them.

• Make it easy for them to access books at home. As their curiosity for reading grows, children are likely to grab books by themselves to read. Also, carry a book in their bags when you go to places.
• Teach them how to take care of books. Remind them to return books afterwards.
• Have another person read out aloud to them by playing audiobooks at home. This is not only a step towards establishing a home reading environment but it also allows them to be fascinated by sounds.
• Have children meet with authors, particularly, of those whose books they have read. It serves as an opportunity to explore deeper about books as well as increases their passion for reading.
• Visit libraries together.
• Refer to a situation from a book when a similar one presents itself in the real world.

• Attend book-related events such as book launches, meet-ups, and enroll in book clubs with them.
• Gift books to them. If they show interest in a specific book series or author, surprise them with it.
• Ask them to read other materials apart from books. Getting them to read newspapers, magazines, posters, billboards, menus, helps them see other ways reading can be applied.

Happy reading!