Motherhood: Gratitude – An Important Virtue Needed For Children’s Emotional Growth 1

Hello Great Mothers

Gratitude is more than just an attitude or feeling. The online Oxford dictionary describes gratitude as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Recognizing the positive aspects of your life is the first step in gratitude, but it doesn’t end there. The act of being grateful involves identifying the source of that goodness, expressing thanks for it, and perhaps even “returning it” by giving it back or sharing it with others.

Acts of appreciation have remarkable positive effects on both mental and physical health. Some advantages of regularly practicing gratitude include improved resilience to get through challenging times, stronger relationships, better sleep, a stronger immune system, the ability to cope with anxiety, better academic and professional performance, and increased happiness.

We all want our children to grow into well-balanced adults. We want our children to grow up into a man or woman who is resilient, who can establish and maintain good relationships, and who can cope with anxiety. So it is our responsibility to teach our children the act of gratitude, and it is of great importance when we start early.

According to a study in 20119, published in the Journal of Happiness was Studies, gratitude is linked with happiness in children by age five. Therefore, teaching your children to be grateful from an early age may help them become happy adults.

A 2011 study, published in Psychological Assessment3 stated that teens (ages 14 to 19) who are grateful are more joyful, use their talents to enhance their communities, are more dedicated to their education and extracurricular activities, and perform better academically. They have also been found to be less materialistic, sad, and envious than their peers who are less thankful.

More of this will be discussed in my next article.

Bye!