Thanksgiving: Teaching Girls About Gratitude
It’s not uncommon to see the message of gratitude shared throughout November. Here in the U.S., we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth Thursday of the month. It’s an observance established with the sole purpose of giving thanks for the many blessings throughout the year. It’s also become a time when we celebrate family with a large feast. But gratitude shouldn’t just be reserved for one month out of the year. How else can you teach girls about gratitude?
Gratitude and Kindness
Being kind is about being friendly, generous, compassionate, and considerate. We would add another trait to kindness and that’s gratitude. Teaching our girls to be kind is one of the ways we can counter mean and bullying behavior. That’s not to say you can’t also teach your girls to be strong, independent, and assertive when they need to be, but it can always be done with a healthy dose of kindness.
So how does gratitude fit in? Demonstrating gratitude and expressing thanks can improve individual perception and influence the people around them. Gratitude is contagious.
Year-Round Thankfulness
While we focus on gratitude around Thanksgiving, it’s a trait that should be reinforced all year long. Gratitude can be expressed as prayer if your family is spiritual, but it doesn’t have to be in that context. Gratitude is for everyone.
Teach your girls to say “Thank You,” in response to others. This will also lead to more courteous behavior including helping those in need. Practice this throughout the year.
As a note, however, your daughters don’t have to thank people who are behaving in a less than honorable way. Teaching them to express thanks simply because someone demands it isn’t true gratitude. Your girls should feel empowered to thank the people they’re comfortable thanking.
Showing Gratitude to Others
So how do you demonstrate gratitude toward others in your daily lives? There are many ways.
- Keep a gratitude journal
- Say “Thank You”
- Write a thank-you note
- Make and give gifts
- Ask someone about their day
- Practice active listening
While big gestures are great, gratitude can be just the smallest thing. It’s a healthy habit to be cultivated just like exercising and eating well.
Safe Celebrations this Year
Many of us are finding it difficult to express our thanks in 2020, but stopping and reflecting can still help us heal and move forward. While thanksgiving might look very different this year, it’s still a good day to celebrate loved ones.
Cooking a meal at home with your immediate family is very low risk. If you have family members who can’t travel for the holiday, call them or invite them to an online video conference. If you can’t be with family or friends this year, write and send Thanksgiving cards to share gratitude for people in your life.
How will you practice gratitude and celebrate Thanksgiving this year?