Only recently have scientists begun to study the benefits of gratitude.
Vitamin G, as some like to call it, plays a critical role in happiness.
Focusing on the positive boosts body, mind and spirit. It gives energy,
inspires and transforms us. In a nutshell, it provides life with meaning by
thinking of life as a gift. Don’t you want to give this gift to your
children?
Top 10 Benefits of Gratitude
Dr. Robert Emmons is the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. He
conducted studies involving journals and found that when people regularly
engage in thankfulness, they experience measurable psychological, physical
and interpersonal benefits:
-
Feel better about their lives overall
-
Experience higher levels of positive emotions like optimism,
enthusiasm, love and happiness -
Are kinder and more generous to others
-
Have fewer physical problems including pain
-
Exercise more regularly and eat healthier
-
Sleep better
-
Visit the doctor more regularly for checkups
-
Feel less stressed
-
Cope with stress more effectively and recover more quickly from
stressful situations -
Live longer – on average, being thankful adds seven years to our
lives!
How It Works
Why does saying thank you have so many benefits for us? When we
count our blessings, we interrupt the cycle of negative and fearful
thoughts which allows the stress system in our bodies to recover. Research
shows that when we feel gratitude, we love our lives and want to make sure
we stick around long enough to enjoy them. Also, when we receive praise
from others, our brain releases the chemical dopamine which encourages us
to do more to receive such praise. This makes us want to thank others and
make them feel good as well.
How To Teach Children Gratitude
In her book “10 Mindful Minutes,” Goldie Hawn (a 1963 graduate of
Montgomery High School in Silver Spring, MD) explains that being thankful
is not a natural instinct; children need to be taught how to do it. She
asks parents to be good examples to their children by thanking them often.
It is important to explain to our children why they are being praised.
Another important tip is to be careful not to judge how our children
express gratitude. Young children under age 7 may not fully grasp the
concept. It is not what they are thankful for, but that they are
learning how to express gratitude that matters. If they want to be thankful
for a toy, that is okay.
Keeping a journal of appreciation is the backbone of gratitude scientific
research. Anytime you read about gratitude, you will be
asked to write down five points you are thankful for that day or week on an
ongoing basis. Over time, you will begin to experience the benefits of
gratitude such as stress reduction and optimism.
I tried the traditional journal approach when I first learned about
gratitude and it did not work for me. I found it repetitive and boring, to
be perfectly blunt. This is why I started my nightly ritual of the
gratitude prayer with my children. That works for us, but each family needs
to discover what is most effective for them. Plus, you don’t want it to
become an annoying chore – it is supposed to make you happier
after all!
Here are some ideas for fun, creative gratitude journals using a variety of
media. As technology changes and our children learn more about what they
can do with computers, iPads and iPhones, we should show them how to use
these tools for something positive – for making them feel better.
5 Ways to Keep Gratitude Journals with Your Kids
-
Blog
My son just started getting writing assignments in second grade using a
student blog site. He loves seeing his words online and gets so excited
when classmates comment on his posts. Why not set up a family gratitude
journal blog (password protected, of course)? You can even involve
grandparents and cousins, no matter how far away they live. You could
introduce this idea at the Thanksgiving table and challenge everyone to
submit a post each week throughout the year. -
Audio Recording
Children love to hear their own voices. You can have them record their
journal on a phone or iPad. Once you have the recordings, you can get
really creative by posting them online for others to listen to. You can
even put them to music and create a song or rap using highlights of what
they said. -
Videos
Children also love watching videos of themselves. My daughter can spend
hours watching herself on my phone. They will have a blast talking about
what they are thankful for and watching it repeatedly. Maybe have them
pretend to be reporters and their gratitude is the news of the day. Or they
can act out scenes from the wonderful moments they had. -
Drawings
For children who are more visual or artistic, ask them to draw or paint
what they are thankful for at the time. You can then put the artwork
together in a book organized by month or year. Create your own handmade
journal or take pictures and use Snapfish or an online slideshow to present
the images. -
Collage
Looking for pictures in magazines or online to build a gratitude collage is
a fun family project. And no artistic talent required! All that cutting is
also a great way for your child to build fine motor skills.
I hope you enjoy saying thank you with your children in these innovative
ways. You can mix and match these media as well, such as posting videos on
your gratitude blog. Before you get started, I recommend you read some very
helpful tips about gratitude journals from the Greater Good Science Center
(greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/tips_for_keeping_a_gratitude_journal).
