the family unit. As children grow, communication can become difficult, and the family can struggle when entitlement is constantly wearing down the bonds of love and kindness.
When a child speaks about gratitude, and begins to express it within their own lives, there will be a natural change in the family dynamics. Getting excited about good things that have happened to us is a lot healthier than the negative mindset of “want” that fosters selfish chatter and negative perspectives on life.
Step 3: Writing It
Without a doubt, the most effective method of actively increasing the levels of gratitude in your life is to keep a gratitude journal—every day or even once a week. For children that have experienced emotional periods of negativity, entitlement, and anger, there is simply no better remedy than writing down their feelings.
Fully appreciating gratitude comes when you write about it regularly.
GRATITUDE Tip Research tells us Writing It once a week is enough to reap all the benefits.
As mentioned earlier, writing in a gratitude journal does not need to be overdone: a few single lines into a plain and simple journal is just as powerful as a jazzed-up notebook that your child has enthusiastically decorated with bling.
It shows that not only are children thinking about gratitude more often, but they are speaking about it more in an attempt to make it part of their lives. The writing stage is an explorative exercise in trying to gain a better understanding of how gratitude improves and enhances their own lives. Seeing a child change their perspective with a gratitude journal is incredible.
Writing down the things that they are grateful for is the easiest way to get children to take that in-depth step and further explore this fulfilling emotion.
Begin with bullet points if you have to. Many children will not like the idea of having this extra bit of homework to do all the time. But you will notice a change in attitude once the words sink in. That is because writing inspires new thought, which begins the learning cycle all over again. When children are thinking, they are learning and growing.
Get your child to write down their thoughts and chat about these thoughts afterwards during family time.
Eventually, the message will sink in. Children want to be happy, and you have to show them that the most direct route to happiness is by gaining adequate understanding of the things they could appreciate in their lives.
Learning from the Gratitude Journal
Children learn a lot from their gratitude journals. They become more self-aware as they are able to go back and see what they have been grateful for over the past few weeks. It really calls them into the moment, something many children struggle with in this busy modern age with all its distractions.
Gratitude Tip Begin by jotting down three to five things that you are grateful for every day. One line is enough. Ask your child questions like, “What rocked your world today?” and, “What positive learning experience did you have today?” to get the thoughts flowing.
Exercise: Try This Journal Exercise with Your Child
What if your child responds with an “Umm…I don’t know!” to the question “What rocked your world today?”
Then you can cue your child.
If you are stuck, met with resistance, and are looking for a few good ideas, then remember the multisensory experiences that we discussed earlier in this chapter, and try asking:
What’s the yummiest TASTE that hit your tongue today?
What did you HEAR that put a smile on lips?
What did you TOUCH today that felt _____________?
What did you SEE today that helped you to be happy?
What did you SMELL that was delicious for your nose?
You need to guide your child on how to keep a gratitude journal so they can experience the personal gains and learn from it. When they are feeling down, it can be an exceptional tool for reminding them about the things in life that matter. Appreciation during the development years
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