How to educate gratitude in children: 13 best tips and exercises

Even some species of birds are trained. They repeat the words behind a person whose meanings are not given to understand. What can we say about a child who, in his first years of life, is trying to comprehend the structure of the world, and therefore everything absorbs, like a sponge - sometimes unconsciously.

And it is at this tender age that only the best knowledge should be laid in it, to awaken highly moral emotions, so that he not only soullessly learn to “scatter” words, but so that they also express what he feels at the moment. If you love your baby, teach his love, care, truthfulness, fidelity and sincere gratitude. Awle your soul, open it for all these emotions, and then he will not pronounce the words of gratitude purely mechanically, like a speaking parrot.

How to educate gratitude in children: 13 best ways

As soon as the child learns the word to reinforce with emotion, the matter will go in the way, and every day he will improve more and more in this - and you must constantly help him in this.
And then he, becoming an adult, will not turn into a callous, soulless and selfish person. On the contrary, with his ability to empathize and sincerely express his feelings, he will attract the sympathies of all the people around him.
Everyone likes people who can not only read the emotional state of others, but also showing them care and attention. What to do in order for your child’s caring words (in adulthood) and the feeling is just that - caring, sympathetic, wanting to help another person?
Parents must understand the simple truth: to teach the child truly, and not played up, it is impossible to feel gratitude without his concern for him. And at the same time, it is necessary to slightly push him to ensure that he is grateful for this concern, and in fact he experienced this feeling, and did not hesitate to pronounce it out loud.
In children under 5 years of age, mood often changes, and they still do not understand that their behavior is due to a change in emotions. Try to make sure that the child realizes that it is behind every feeling, and then it will be easier for him to see care in a particular action.
For example: it is very pleasant to watch how a little girl shares sweets with her girlfriend, and the latter in a fit of gratitude not only says “thank you”, but even hugs her. This means that one of them already knows how to take care, and the second with gratitude understands that they took care of her.
Such emotions: take care and have gratitude for her - It is necessary to cultivate in a child with your own example. Feeling your care, he himself will want to take care About you, your friends, brothers and sisters.

Thanks to some methods, you can educate the true, not played than in the child.

Here are the most effective:

The gift is concern. On occasion (for example, on someone’s birthday), it is necessary to explain to the child that in the gift the main thing is not his material value, but an attitude that is caring for a gifted person. If the family has a cult of money, then the question will be focused on how much the presented gift is expensive in material terms. With a good and caring for each other's attitude in the family, the question will arise differently: from whom is the present, and for what reason is it just like that? This is a great way to push the child to be happy to hand his gifts to others, and at the same time learned to distinguish when he himself with a pure soul and joy give presents.
A gift is like an unexpected joy. You do not need to be interested in the child, what gift he wants to receive for the day of his birth or other holidays. An unexpected gift in emotional terms is much better than ordered. After all, if you buy your son/daughter what he/she asked (a), it will mean that the child took care of himself, and not you at all. When he receives from you as a gift what he did not expect at all, and he will be surprised, and will be delighted. At the same time, he will feel deeper and appreciate your care, and will be grateful to you for it.
A gift made by the hands of a child is most valuable. Bring to the consciousness of your child that a gift made by his hands, and not purchased in the store, is most valuable to you. And explain to him at the same time why: while he made him, he thought about making his mom/dad pleasant, spent his time on this, instead of engaging in games or watching cartoons. This will help material benefits as if to leave on the sidelines, and at the forefront to put touching care, generosity and beauty of the soul.
Appreciate the actions of the child
Let the child say “thank you”. Do not demand that the child observe decency, let him say “thank you” better from the heart. If the child opens up to express his gratitude in those moments when society expects this from him, then in this case it is not worth doing it forcibly. At this time-but not in public-unobtrusively remind you that when someone gives him pleasant moments, for example, gives gifts or helps in something, you need to thank a person in response with pleasant words, shaking, kiss on a cheek or a cheek or hug. That is, to express his gratitude to his gratitude to his service or giving a gift to a person how much he feels the need to do this. It will be useful to ask the child: "Do you feel gratitude to this person in your soul?" And if the answer is positive, softly advise him to say “thank you”. In no case do you need a formidable commanding voice forcibly force him to do this.
Postcard as a form of gratitude. If the child was enjoyed in some ways, invite him to thank this person with his own hand-made postcard or letters of thanks-through this, you can also sow the grain of sincere gratitude in his soul.
To get something is good, but to give is doubly pleasant. The child needs to say as often as possible that when they give you something, or help in something-this, of course, is nice. But it is doubly more pleasant to give and help others. Give him examples from the life of people for whom this principle is very important. If the child observes that one of the main postulates of the family lies in the manifestations of generosity, it comes to him that he cares about other people - this is a vital necessity.
Remember the "gifts" that the past day brought. Every day in the evening, having already laid the child in bed, remember with him all those positive moments that have occurred in his life for this day. This “piggy bank” can be filled with impressions, meetings with new and pleasant people, fascinating games with friends, goodies, successes, kind words - all that can be grateful for. The kids are very impressionable, but at the same time forgetful. It is precisely in order for the child to remember all the good things that happened to him during the day, and it is necessary to “repetition of the passed”. Teach him in these pleasant moments to consider “gifts of fate” for which you need to be grateful.
Remember the good. So that the pleasant events that occurred in a day are fixed in the memory of your baby, he needs to remind him of about this form: “Remember how fun it was to ride a carousel”, “Do you remember what good and kind girl you made friends today and she treated you with candy?”, “Remember what beautiful house we built from the cubes today” etc. But in negative moments you can always find something good. For example, they suddenly turned off the light, and the child could not watch his favorite cartoon: “But dad told you a lot of fun stories.”
How well everything turned out! Speak aloud everything that you think about the positive moments of the day - this will teach you how to appreciate them. Sample phrases: “How wonderful that everything is at home today, and we will be able to have an interesting time”, “How good that we planned to go to the zoo with you today,” “How great it is that you and your dad hung a picture - it now decorates our apartment” etc.
Find joy in every day and bring the baby that he should be grateful for everything
It is necessary to do good. Take time to do good and useful things together with your child. You can participate in charity (collecting things for the poor, provide assistance to those who need it), from time to time to remove the public territory (landing, courtyard territory), feed abandoned animals, which were placed in the nursery, help lonely helpless old men. If the child will participate in such promotions, then rather he will understand that when giving it out, you get more satisfaction than when you take something.
See in your child an assistant, and tell him about it. Children try to imitate adults, and therefore take them to help them in various matters. Do not dismiss such a “help”, as if from an annoying fly, but, on the contrary, do not get tired of praising them for this laudable zeal. Did you remove the toys? Carried a dirty dish into the sink? Did you get to wash my socks? Thanks for the fact that they help, and it doesn’t matter if the cup broke up, or soapy water spilled out of the basin. If the child feels that you are grateful to him, then he will want to help you even more.
Separate their joy with others. If a child with someone shares sweets, toys, or his good mood in the form of a smile, hugs, kind words, then he will experience happiness. And happiness and gratitude go hand in hand.
What lucky are you and I are! Every day, draw the child’s attention to how everything is good for you, and what is worth being grateful for it: while they came to the kindergarten, good kind people live in the neighborhood, grandmother baked delicious pies, which he treated the children on the site, a neighboring dog gave herself to stroke ...