Did you know that as well as feeling good, gratitude is actually good for us? Feeling grateful on a regular basis can have a really powerful effect on our lives. 

Some of the amazing benefits of being grateful are:

• Higher levels of happiness and optimism
• Stronger self esteem
• Lower stress and a greater ability to cope with stress
• Better sleep
• Improved resilience
• Stronger relationships
• Less aggression

Gratitude can be tricky for kids to grasp, and we have to be realistic with our expectations as kids are still developing their ability to understand other people’s experiences and to recognise and appreciate when someone is doing something kind or generous for them (aka empathy!). But there are some simple practices that we know will make them more grateful and we can introduce these from a young age.

1. A daily gratitude reflection

Writing a gratitude list is a fantastic way to create a gratitude habit. Recording what they are grateful in a journal also gives a great reminder that they can look to on difficult days, and lets them reflect on how far they have come and just how much they have to appreciate in their lives. Even littler ones can get involved by using a journal to create a drawing that reflects what they are grateful for.

2. Helping others

Opportunities to help others give kids the chance to realise the things that others do for them, and how lucky they are. Having kids help out within the family at home is a great place to start. 

3. Random acts of kindness

Celebrate kindness! Look for opportunities to let your child show kindness to others. These acts of kindness lead to positive feelings and connection with others, which helps them feel more grateful.

Knowing what a gift gratitude is for our kids, we created the GROW Journal to make it easy for parents to start building this wonderful skill in their families.