Thanksgiving is a big word but the concept is simple enough to teach your preschooler. Your preschooler may not understand what it means to walk around with a grateful heart but these are the years to instill this attitude. Being grateful can be hard in a world where everything is handed to you. Your child most likely has a drawer full of clothes, a coat when it is cold outside, boots for the snow, a bed to sleep in and food to eat. It is only natural that your child will begin to expect these things and not realize how thankful he should be for them. Being grateful is a lesson even hard for adults sometimes.
Teaching Gratitude
The best step in teaching gratitude is feeling and displaying gratitude. Does your child see you grumbling that you don’t have a bigger TV or a nicer car? Does your child see you fake smile as you accept a gift you do not like? Do you allow yourself to be weighed down by uncertainty, a heavy heart, or fear of the future? Children pick up on subtle emotions and actions we often do not give them credit for. They take in our attitude and learn how to process the world through our lens. If we complain about waiting in the doctor’s office for too long our child will miss the lesson on being grateful for medical care and only focus on how long he has to wait. A sense of entitlement sets in and soon he will even expect you to give him what he wants. So walk around grateful. Grateful for the day, the time, your child and family. Serve gratefully, give gratefully, and in every situation see that silver lining that only glows under the light of grateful eyes. Not only will your heart change but so will your child’s.