Writing down what we are grateful for is a powerful way to help young children practice gratitude. Starting a gratitude journal with your kids can set them on the path toward positive thinking and appreciation for all that they have in life. Kids’ own gratitude journal will also help cultivate an overall sense of well-being and happiness, as well as teach them valuable life skills. In this blog post, I will how to start gratitude journal for kids and provide you with writing prompts to help you get started.
What Does Gratitude Means?
Gratitude means understanding and recognizing the gifts that life offers us. It is about having a humble appreciation for those moments, experiences, places, and people who bring joy to our lives.
Teaching children how to express gratitude will help them appreciate what they have in their life rather than just focusing on what they don’t have or want.
How do you start a gratitude journal for kids?
Here are some steps to get started:
- Find the perfect notebook or journal for your child – this can be a special one they get as a gift, or you can create one together.
- Talk to your child about why gratitude is important and how it can help them appreciate what they have in their life.
- Discuss some ideas of what they can include in their journal – make sure to include moments, experiences, places, or people that bring joy into their life.
- Set aside a regular time each day for your child to write down three things they are grateful for that day.
- Encourage them to share the positive feelings associated with being thankful and appreciate all the good things in their life.
- Start a gratitude jar with your child – this can be a place where they write down or draw something that makes them happy each day.
Why keep a gratitude journal for kids?
Gratitude journals can help kids focus on the positive aspects of life. Through regular journaling, they will start to notice and appreciate more of the small things that happen throughout their day.
This practice of awareness can help them have an overall more positive outlook on life. Gratitude journaling can improve the mental and physical health of your kids.
Practicing gratitude journaling with your kids can help them develop a positive attitude, build self esteem, and foster relationships.
What do you write in a gratitude journal for kids?
To start your kids gratitude journal, you can use a variety of tools and approaches. Here are some gratitude journal prompts on how to get started:
- Write down three things you are grateful for today.
- Describe something that made you smile today.
- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
- Who is someone you appreciate and why?
- What was something kind you did for another person today?
- What nature moments made you feel the most alive today?
- What lessons did you learn today?
- Ask your kids to write down one thing they are thankful for each day.
- Ask your kids to draw a picture of something they are thankful for, and then write about why it is important to them.
- Have everyone in the family share three positive things that made them happy that day at dinner time.
- Ask your kids to write a letter of gratitude to someone or something special.
- Let your younger kids pick an activity each day that they can be grateful for and then write about it in their daily journal.
- Ask your kids to list five people who are important to them and why they are grateful for each one.
- Have the kids write about a special moment or experience that made them happy and why it was so meaningful.
- Ask your young child to pick an emotion they are feeling and how expressing gratitude has helped them feel better.
- Ask your kids to write about something they have learned and what they are grateful for that knowledge.
- Let each family member take turns writing down one thing about the other members of the household that they are thankful for.
- Have your child draw a picture of something in nature that makes them feel happy and write a few sentences about why.
- Give your kids an opportunity to express gratitude for the little things in life, such as nice weather or tasty food.
- Ask your kids to think of something special someone did for them and how it made them feel grateful.
- Ask your child what they learned from a difficult situation and how it helped them to appreciate life more.
- Have your kids pick someone they admire and why they are thankful for that person’s presence in their life.
How to help your kid maintain a gratitude journaling habit.
Writing regularly
Regularly writing in the gratitude journal will help your kids develop an appreciation for life’s small moments.
Be creative
Encourage your child to get as creative as possible when expressing their gratitude in their own journal.
Drawing, writing poems or stories, gratitude prompts, and using color are all great ways to go about this. You can also use a free printable gratitude journal for daily practice.
Encourage them
Make sure to encourage and help kids focus when they are writing in the journal and remind them that their feelings of gratitude are valid.
Make it a family activity
Doing the activity as a family can help create an atmosphere of togetherness and appreciation.
Be consistent
Making sure to stick to a consistent schedule will help keep your kids engaged in the process.
Talk about it
Make sure to talk with your child about their entries and discuss the things that made them grateful.
Keep it lighthearted
The journal is a place for positivity, so keep the mood lighthearted and stress-free.
Focus on the positive
Remind your kids to focus on the positive aspects of life; even when times get tough, there’s always something to be thankful for.
Be respectful
Respect your kid’s feelings and acknowledge any difficult emotions they are experiencing at the moment.
Demonstrate gratitude yourself
Showing appreciation through your own behavior can help model an attitude of gratitude for your kids.
Make it fun
Incorporate some fun activities into your journaling sessions, such as drawing or writing about a special memory.
Read books about gratitude
Reading books with stories that focus on appreciation and positivity can help reinforce the concept of gratitude to your kids.
Be patient
Being patient is key when it comes to helping children understand how to express their feelings of gratitude.
Listen
Make sure to listen closely to what your child has to say to better understand their perspective on things.
Ask questions
Asking thoughtful questions can help spark meaningful conversations and encourage self-reflection.
Reflect together
Take time each day or week for the family to reflect together on what they are grateful for.
Bottom Line
Teaching kids how to express gratitude is a great way to help them form positive habits that will last into adulthood.
Using gratitude journals can be a fun and creative way for kids to explore their feelings and learn how expressing appreciation can bring joy to our lives.
With the right tools, writing prompts, free gratitude journal, and tips, you can make the most of your kid’s gratitude journaling experience.
Happy Journaling!
