Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Gratitude begets gratitude...a proven fact


It's over. Everything unwrapped, being played with, history. Wait...not yet...there is one more thing to do to wrap up this Christmas-time event. It is now time to write thank you notes to those family members or non-members that went out of their way to bless your kids on this special day. It seems that this part of Christmas is becoming obsolete and needs to be resurrected. It involves good manners, great articulation, writing skills, communication skills either by the printed word or verbally. Do not skip this part of the process as it is very important.
You can either buy specific note cards to write on, have your child draw pictures if they are unable to express his/herself through writing, make a phone call, text a message, send an email, or make an appearance in person to say thank you for thoughtful gifts received. Ecards are brilliant and fun to design and you can make them up once and mass-email them to multiple recipients. How fun to sit down with your child and choose the perfect one, pick the music, craft the message to send out to become a blessing to someone you know and love.
Did you know that kids who express gratitude are healthier kids? Studies show that kids who took place in daily gratitude exercises are more alert, more determined, more enthusiastic, more attentive, and more energetic than kids in a control group who focused on daily hassles and life problems. It gives kids a better connection to themselves and to their world.
Please create a thankful kid. Little kids should be taught to say please and thank you and use manners naturally. More importantly if you strive to have an air of mutual respect in your home flowing at all times you children will catch it by osmosis. Modelling real gratitude begets more gratitude in your kids.
Read on.

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