November is National Gratitude Month. This is the perfect time to teach your children this beneficial emotion. The gift of gratitude is a present you can give your children that will outlast the happiness brought by all their holiday toys. Having gratitude has been shown to block toxic emotions that may rise. People with higher gratitude levels have lower levels of stress and higher self-esteem.
Studies done with children have resulted in better satisfaction with school and home. Children who show more gratitude also give more support to others and have better social support. Having more gratitude will help them in a big way, and will help them grow into caring, empathetic adults. Here are five ways you can foster the development of gratitude among your children this year.
Say Thank You at Home

This is a great way for young and older children to focus on giving thanks. Teach them that whenever they receive a gift or a compliment, they should always say thank you. This starts with the parents. Remember that when your child does something that deserves some ‘thanks’, be generous with your gratitude. Model the behavior you would like them to have.
Teaching children to always say “thank you” will create an atmosphere of gratitude in the home. It will also turn into a lifelong practice. If at first, your children are forgetful to give their thanks, help them by having them restate their sentence with “thank you” included.