It can certainly be challenging to teach children to be grateful, especially when it comes to the long lists that they give to Santa. At the same time giving gifts to our children this time of the year is exciting and and tons of fun.
As much as you like to think they will be grateful for the gifts they receive at times you may hear things like “Where’s my next present” or “I don’t want this!”. There is no denying that there can be a huge learning curve when it comes to gifts and children but there is no need to be disheartened or discouraged, it’s something that takes time.
Below we’ll have a look at some of the ways you may be able to get the right message across to your children this Christmas time:
Get Them Prepared Before
When it comes to children you probably already know that you have to tell them or teach them something many times before it starts to sink in. Well, the same applies when it comes to gifts. You need to prepare them before they receive gifts, especially if they are coming from outside your home. Talk to them before you know they are going to receive a present and remind them that should say thank you and keep comments to themselves.
Get Them To Say Thank You
If you forget to speak to them before you go, don’t worry too much. You just need to get them to say thank you later. You can either stay nearby them and remind them gently, or get them to say thank you when you are leaving. You could also try saying thank you on behalf of them by saying something like “Oh thank you, Aunt Emma, that’s a lovely gift”.
Get Them To Write A Thank You Note
Other than saying thank you in person, you can also teach your children about being thankful by having them write a thank you note. If your children are young you could either print out a thank you note or write it yourself and them to sign their name. Another good idea is getting them to draw a thank you picture. Try to include the reason they like the gift, or perhaps even a good reason why they don’t. It’s not about liking the gift, it
S about showing that they are grateful for the thought.
Turn The Focus On Giving
It’s easier to teach children about being grateful at Christmas time as it gives them the chance to give as well as get presents. If you get them involved in choosing gifts for others, wrapping them, and handing them out, the excitement over their presents will quickly move to the excitement of handing out gifts to others.
These are just four ideas that you can try with your children. All children are different so different things will work for you. Do you have any other suggestions that could work? Please share them in the comments below.
