There’s no one way I express gratitude. It often depends on what I am grateful for and to whom I am expressing it.
Gratitude is so deep, and sometimes it’s enough to just say thank you.
It’s so easy, in the grind of solo parenting to be hard on our kids because we mean so much for them to be successful. So don’t forget to say thank you, don’t just grill on with the discipline.
Children thrive off of our expressions of love and gratitude and thank you is certainly one of the magic words they too love to hear.
But sometimes they need to see a little bit more. How do you know you’re getting it right? Here are 3 ways to express gratitude besides saying it.
Understand your child’s gratitude language
Adults have this trait too. But children even more. Children may prefer to be given a physical gift than to be given an opportunity.
I learned this when I returned from a work trip and didn’t bring back the customary chocolates that staff love. I didn’t think much of it, I had been ill and some staff had just returned from a travel and learning opportunity that I had put them on. The benefits to them from the trip were worth a hundred times more than any chocolates I could have bought. But one staff member in particular made a fuss about not receiving the chocolates.
Sometimes it’s more worthwhile to express gratitude in the language your child understands. It could be chocolates, but it could also be increased privileges.
This is not to say you wouldn’t offer other better opportunities. But if you’ve raised your child to interpret appreciation a certain way, like the customary chocolate, it’s likely best to keep it that way until they learn otherwise.
Keep a journal of all the sweet things your child did, and praise them
This might be harder if you’re raising a difficult child, but every child has a sweet side.
Every time your child does something to make you proud, record it. On a random day, when you’re together, shower them with praise about all the beautiful things they did and how grateful it made you feel.
Don’t wait too long before you shower praise. You can keep the list short. Perhaps 3-5 things. Shower praise often, or when your child hits a milestone…or whenever.
Don’t stay mad at your child
I know it sounds a bit obvious. But it’s the beginning of favouritism. We prefer one child over the other for whatever reason. It’s likely because we’ve stored up more cons than pros for either one.
Take pause. Express gratitude by thinking about the positives in each child and be grateful for the blessing of parenthood. Every child is special and adds a unique experience to us.
Gratitude means different things to every child. How I express it depends on what makes the child smile. And a happy smile is so contagious.
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