World Gratitude Day is observed on September 21st every year. It’s a time to reflect on everything we’re grateful for in our lives. As parents, our daily routines can be filled with challenges, responsibilities, and demands that sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed and negative.
However, amidst the chaos of parenthood, practising gratitude can be a game-changer. In this blog post, we’ll explore how cultivating gratitude as a parent can bring about a multitude of benefits, not only for ourselves but also for our children – and, as you’ll see, it can take as little as five minutes a day! Keep reading for our fun, practical, and simple tips to implement this new habit into your family’s day.
As parents, our actions and attitudes have a profound impact on our children’s development and wellbeing. Practising gratitude each day is a simple yet powerful way to create a more positive and nurturing environment for our families. Here are just some of the benefits:
One of the most significant advantages of practising gratitude is the positive impact it has on our mindset. When we take time each day to acknowledge and appreciate the things we’re grateful for, we shift our focus away from all the negativity and toward the positive aspects of life. As tired and overwhelmed parents, this mindset shift can have a profound influence on our overall happiness and how we interact and connect with our children.
Gratitude isn’t just about recognising material possessions; it’s also about appreciating the people in our lives. When we express gratitude to our children for their efforts, kindness, or simply for being themselves, we strengthen the parent-child bond. This fosters a sense of security, trust, and love that can positively shape our children’s emotional development.
Modelling gratitude for our children helps instil this essential value in them. Children learn by observing their parents, and when they see us practising gratitude, they are more likely to adopt this positive habit themselves. Grateful children tend to be more empathetic, compassionate, and generous towards others.
Parenting can be stressful, but incorporating gratitude practices into our daily routine can help reduce stress levels. When we focus on the things we’re thankful for, we activate the body’s relaxation response, which counteracts the stress response. This not only benefits us as parents but also creates a calmer and happier environment for our children.
Life can be really hard at times, and teaching our children how to navigate adversity is a fundamental aspect of parenting. Gratitude can play a vital role in building resilience. By emphasising gratitude even during difficult times, we teach our children that there is always something to be thankful for, no matter the circumstances.
Here’s how you can quickly and easily practise gratitude each day and reap the above benefits:
Dedicate a few minutes each day to jot down things you’re grateful for. Include moments, experiences, and qualities in your children that make you thankful. You might like to simply ask yourself, “What am I grateful for today?”, but to dig deeper, you could answer the following questions, either writing them down in your journal or thinking about them when you have a quiet few minutes.
Reflect on specific moments or experiences that brought positivity into your day.
Acknowledge your resilience and ability to face challenges, emphasising the positive outcomes.
Think about ways you can show appreciation to the people or things that have positively impacted your life.
Even in challenging situations, there can be valuable lessons that you can be grateful for.
Consider how your gratitude can inspire and uplift those around you.
Focus on the positive aspects of what lies ahead, creating a sense of anticipation and hope.
Remind yourself to stay mindful and fully engage with the positive aspects of your current situation.
Extend your gratitude by seeking opportunities to bring positivity to someone else’s life.
Tell your children and partner why you’re grateful for them. Encourage your children to do the same once they’re developmentally ready to. You might say things to your children like:
To your partner, you might say things such as:
Incorporate gratitude into your family’s daily routine. This can be during meals, bedtime, or any other suitable time. Here are some examples of how you can infuse gratitude into different parts of your day. Choose some age-appropriate activities for your children from this list:
This World Gratitude Day, and every other day, let’s make a commitment to foster gratitude in our homes, not just for the benefits it brings to us as parents but for the lasting positive impact it has on our children’s lives. Gratitude is a gift we can give to ourselves and pass on to the next generation.