The Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to stop and reflect on the notion of graciousness – both in giving and receiving. How do we instill a sense of gratitude in our children? Well, the answer is really quite simple: model it yourself. Children are really keen to authenticity and know when you’re being genuine versus putting on an act for their benefit.
Inviting children to participate in being thoughtful about another person is another great way to instill this good virtue in your child. Ask them to think about what they know about the person you’re gifting and, based on what they know, what they think that person might like or enjoy. Any time a child is included in an experience, it holds greater meaning to them. Similarly, you can invite them to hand the gift to the recipient when they day comes to share it. On your way home from the festivities, you might also ask your child to reflect on what they thought the recipient liked about the gift and how they felt giving it.
Lastly, help your child to write thoughtful thank yous for any gifts they received. Children might be more inclined to do so if they make their own stationery or if they have personalized stationery. Here are a couple good sources for fun stationery for kids: Linda & Harriett & Erin Condren.