In our last blog, I wrote about being thankful. While I am thankful for many people and experiences in my life, it is sometimes very difficult for clients to express their own gratitude. Many tend to focus on material things or on negative aspects of their lives or they see positive situations in a negative light. There are many benefits to helping them learn to recognize the positive things in their lives
Back in the spring, LeeAnne, Theresa and I attended a conference through Learning and the Brain that was called The Science of Positive Emotions, Gratitude, and School Success. This three-day conference was one of the most up-lifting conferences we have ever attended. Topics included brain-functioning, resilience, empathy, grit, gratitude, and dealing with stress. One of the sessions, From Grateful Students to Great Schools: The Promise of Gratitude in Education was presented by Giacomo Bono, PhD. Dr. Bono spoke about benefits of gratitude which included improved mental health, improved physical health, better social relationships, improved conduct and emotional regulation, and more hope.
As we learned throughout many sessions of that conference, the more people practice gratitude, the more ingrained it becomes. Some activities that can help foster gratitude in our children include:
Ø Helping children to develop supportive, trusting relationships
Ø Helping children to recognize positive aspects of their lives
Ø Helping children to do realistic self-assessments recognizing both strengths and needs
Ø Helping children to recognize intentional actions that they and others have done to be kind to others
Ø Keeping a gratitude journal
Ø Writing letters or notes to express thanks to others
Ø Helping children be more aware of stating things in a positive manner
Ø Helping children to recognize negative situations they have dealt with and overcome
Ø Reading books that demonstrate people showing kindness to others and discussing the feelings that would result
Ø Helping children to demonstrate kindness to others
Ø Focusing on activities and time spent together rather than material things
In our waiting room for the month of November, we have a gratitude tree for our clients to cover with leaves that tell what they are grateful for. We will also be gathering gently used toys, books, games, clothes, household items, etc. to donate to the Fund to Benefit Children and Youth. As a part of the donations, clients are given the opportunity to help put together treats for children who are less fortunate than themselves. In addition to helping our clients work on perspective-taking, following directions, sequencing, etc., they have the opportunity to show kindness to others while developing their own gratitude.
For additional reading about developing gratitude, consider the book Making Grateful Kids: The Science of Character Building by Jeffrey J. Froh and Giacomo Bono.
Carol Walck, MS, CCC/SLP