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Holiday gifts and packed schedules can easily overshadow the meaning behind seasonal celebrations. Helping children recognize and appreciate the good things in their lives—large or small—can shift some of that stress toward joy while nurturing a habit that lasts beyond the holidays.
Gratitude is a central concept in positive psychology, which emphasizes the strengths and virtues that help people thrive. Research involving happy, healthy people has repeatedly identified gratitude as an important quality associated with a fulfilling life.
Practicing and expressing gratitude is linked to more frequent feelings of happiness, joy and love. It is also associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression, fewer feelings of envy or resentment, greater empathy and helpfulness, stronger relationships, improved academic achievement and goal attainment, better physical health, and more consistent satisfaction with life.
Because gratitude is learned, parents and guardians can help children move from a holiday focus on receiving to a broader appreciation of giving and connection.
Seven ways to encourage gratitude
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Model it. Children watch how adults respond to others. Openly thank relatives, friends and strangers so children can see that kindness and effort deserve recognition.
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Explain why thanks matter. Teach children that “thank you” is more than a required phrase. Discuss the time, thought or effort another person invested to help them feel valued.
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Draw attention to the positive. Encourage children to notice good moments and everyday comforts while remaining aware that others may have less. Volunteering together can offer a practical way to help people in need.
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Make appreciation specific. Ask children to identify teachers, coaches, counselors and others who have helped them. They can express their appreciation in person or through a note—not only for gifts, but also for the difference someone has made in their lives.
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Create daily rituals. During breakfast or dinner, invite each family member to name something they appreciate. Families can also share a difficult part of the day, but beginning with something positive may help reinforce emotional resilience.
Children could keep a journal and write down three things they appreciated or that went well before bedtime. Prompts might include a person they value, a simple pleasure, an act of kindness they noticed or one of their own strengths.
Families can also create a gratitude box, filling it with written messages of thanks that can be revisited on a difficult day.
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Add visual reminders. Place brief notes on the refrigerator, a bedroom door or inside a lunchbox to keep appreciation for health, family and friends visible. A designated wall or door covered with sticky notes of thanks can become a family gratitude display.
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Recognize grateful behavior. When a child thoughtfully thanks someone, point out exactly what they did. For example, acknowledge when they thank a friend for homework help and explain that the gesture likely made the friend feel appreciated.
Practiced consistently, these small actions can help children understand gratitude as a lasting value rather than a seasonal obligation or a matter of simple politeness.