09/11/2021
Always show appreciation to your kids
Gratitude, like everything needs to be learnt. While some personality types will be more likely to see the positives, becoming aware of what we have and being grateful is something we all need to practice. This can be particularly difficult for young children. Children under the age of 6 have not developed “theory of Mind” or the ability to see things from another’s perspective. So we need to make sure our expectations aren’t too high. We can’t expect a young child to appreciate what others have done for them, they can’t see that they were doing something generous. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t start teaching gratitude, it just means that we shouldn’t expect them to say “thank you so much for getting up and making my breakfast, I know you would rather stay in bed”. But they can learn to appreciate the taste of their toast or the warmth of a hug. The benefits of gratitude is overwhelming for people of all ages.
More information on my blog
https://www.thetherapistparent.com/post/teaching-kids-gratitude
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