When we express gratitude, we boost our happiness. We also have a greater sense of connection with others. Research shows that people that practice being grateful experience more satisfaction in life and better yet, are less likely to feel anxious or envious of others. What’s more, expressing gratitude helps us feel more empathetic – a key factor in positive parenting!
When we practice gratitude on a regular basis, we tend to be more hopeful, more generous, connected and generally nice!
Did you know expressing or even just thinking about things that make us grateful can help turn a bad mood around? According to Dr. Art Markmam (A psychology Professor at University of Texas) “When you’re feeling down, you tend to dwell on depressing memories. Thinking about what you’re grateful for lets you bring to mind happier parts of your life.”
Thinking about the things we are thankful for also helps us think and parent more positively! Those tough parenting moments, when we think we cannot hear another whine or deal with another squabble – right then, if we just focus on the good things we know our children CAN do, all the abundance in our life, it can help us re-center and make a plan of action with a positive attitude rather than trying to coerce, yell, scream and dread a bad moment.
So, how are you expressing gratitude, today and everyday?
Our family takes some time during family meetings to express gratitude and appreciations on a weekly basis! It connects us, plus we get to share and listen to really interesting things the children have to say!
Here are a few more ideas for expressing gratitude:
Gratitude Jar
Source: papercraftsconnection.com via Paper Crafts Magazine on Pinterest
Gratitude Tree
Source: centsationalgirl.com via Brandon Carrien on Pinterest
Keep a Gratitude Journal
Gratitude Chain
Ariadne Brill
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