Three Ways To Make Sure You Are Raising A Grateful Child

Raising a grateful child is a difficult task.  Gratitude is a difficult concept for children to grasp, especially in this day and time.  So many parents hand things to their children and often before they even ask for them.  How can you be sure that you are raising a grateful child?

Insist on manners.  Gratitude is actually a character trait that comes from the heart so we can’t force our children to have it.  But you can help your chances of raising a grateful child by teaching them to use their manners to convey gratitude.  Teach them to say thank you from a young age.  Reminding your child to say thank you when they forget is a good tip, as well. Although unpopular with children, insisting they write thank you notes for gifts they receive is a wonderful way to help make sure you are raising a grateful child.  If you don’t feel this is right for your child, you could try having your child tell the gift giver something they like about the gift in addition to saying thank you.

Model gratitude.  You cannot expect to have a grateful child if you do not model gratitude in front of your child.  If they see that you appreciate things, they will learn that from you.

Don’t hand them everything.  Handing your children things does not do them any favors.  While we all want to give our children things and that is fine in moderation, it can go to an excess and lead to bratty behavior that is the opposite of what you want when you are striving to raise a grateful child. When they want something that is over and above your usual standard of providing or buying for them, make them earn the money for it.  They can do chores for you to earn money to buy what they want.

Although it may not seem like it at the time, all your efforts to raise a grateful child will pay off.