Related Files: November_Newsletter_2017.docx

Mrs. Barker’s Counselor’s Corner

FEELING GRATITUDE AND NOT EXPRESSING IT IS LIKE

WRAPPING A PRESENT AND NOT GIVING IT.William A. Ward

This month is a perfect time of the year to talk about and teach gratitude!  Here are a few simple ways to instill thankfulness in young children:  

• Ask your children about the highs and lows of their school day. What went well? What went right? Focus on appreciating the positive.

• Thank your children often, even if they’re doing required chores or activities you requested of them. Let them know you notice and appreciate their effort!  

• Say “thank you” to your spouse, your friends, and your family in the presence of your children.  

• Generate an attitude of giving. Ask your children to gather and donate old toys or clothes to other children who may be in need.

• Encourage your children to write or draw thank you notes or pictures to friends, family, teachers, etc.  

• Point out how others have helped your children – someone holding the door open, a friend helping your child tie his/her shoe, a teacher giving extra time to make sure your child understood the lesson, etc.

For more information and ideas about teaching gratitude to your children, please visit: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/love-andgratitude/201305/4-ways-children-learn-gratitude.

Classroom Lessons

Kindergarten- 2nd grade: Students will identify ways they have acted with

     kindness and caring toward others.

3rd & 4th grade:  (Our lives are interconnected with those of many people whom we have never met, who provide us with goods and services we rely on daily).  Students will demonstrate an awareness that we can extend gratitude to those we have never met, as well as those we know.

Why is teaching and modeling gratitude so important?

Being able to recognize and appreciate the good things in life can lead to increased happiness and life satisfaction.  For children especially, learning how to be thankful can help in the development of interpersonal skills, including the “big” one EMPATHY.  Gratitude lends itself to expanding our worldview.  When we’re thankful for even the small things, we’re thinking of more than just ourselves; we’re thinking about how all of us have the ability to positively impact another’s life.  Gratitude is powerful!  (Watson, Rita; 2013: Psychology Today)