Tips For Helping Your Preschool Kids Celebrate Gratitude All Month Long

When Thanksgiving rolls around, it's a reminder of the importance of gratitude. Why save that celebration for one day, though? Leaning the grace of gratitude is something that will benefit your little ones for their entire lives. Follow these tips to help your preschool children embrace gratitude and express how thankful they are:

Ask Open-Ended Questions to Inspire Gratitude

Preschool children are learning about themselves and the world around them each day. However, it can be easy to simply get "yes" or "no" out of many young children if you ask them a simple question. Instead, ask open-ended questions to get kids on the right track to thinking about gratitude. Here are some questions you may want to try.

• How do you feel when someone thanks you?
• What happened today that made you feel happy?
• Can you think of someone who made you smile today?
• How do you feel when someone thanks you?
• How do you think others feel when they are thanked?
• What do you say when someone thanks you?
• Why do you like it when people thank you?

When thinking of open-ended questions to help jump-start your discussion on gratitude, think about the things you hope to teach your children about gratitude.

Make a Fun Gratitude Suggestion Each Day

Each morning for at least a week, suggest ways that your little ones may want to express their gratitude. Kids may be confused about how to go about expressing their feelings of gratitude so that these suggestions can be empowering. It can help children build their confidence, and better express themselves when they're grateful. You may want to consider suggesting the following.

• Tell your kids to start the school morning by telling their preschool teachers one thing that they appreciate. For example, if one of your children especially likes doing the math and a teacher has nurtured that interest, you may simply suggest that your child thank the teacher for her help.
• Encourage your children to thank other kids who do kind deeds or who share their toys.
• Remind your children to thank siblings when they do nice things for them. Let them know that they should do so when you're not around, too.  

Finally, keep in mind that the discussion about gratitude can continue for years to come. Creating activities around appreciation throughout the year can be fun for little ones. These activities can also serve as a reminder to young kids of all they have and the many reasons they feel thankful. That will, in turn, is likely to help them be happier overall. 

Contact a local preschool program for more information and assistance.