Most children have a natural spirit of generosity. The world is still a wondrous place for them, and they love to share their excitement. One only has to see a toddler outstretching their chubby little arm to give an extra cookie to a sibling or friend. It makes the heart swell with warmth. Generosity often doesn’t need to be taught.
But gratitude, showing appreciation, needs to be nurtured, because children aren’t born understanding the abstract idea of appreciation. As children mature, they learn that others’ needs are as important as their own, and that others make sacrifices for the child. With a thoughtful approach, parents and guardians can help children show appreciation for those who support the child’s needs. Here are some simple ways to do just that.
Provide Ideas
When a holiday is approaching like a birthday or Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, it’s nice to offer up some ideas for the child to implement, things that are within the child’s power to do all by themselves. Ideas include:
-
drawing a few little “job IOUs” that the recipient can trade for chores to be done by the child
-
coloring a handmade card
-
coloring a picture as a gift, with a special message on it
-
helping to make cookies to bring to class for the teacher
Share a Gift
A child doesn’t have the personal budget to match a beautiful gift from a spouse, like birthday flowers delivery for mom. But a spouse can share the gift with the child, offering to make the gift from the two of them, rather than just the spouse. Let the child write their own name on the card, and if possible, let them be the one to hand the gift to the recipient. Giving feels good, and this simple act of sharing the gift-giving helps nurture a child’s developing sense of how to show appreciation.
Be Vocal About Thanks
Lead by example at home. Make sure you let children hear you as you thank a neighbor for watering your garden while you were away or taking in your porch packages until you got home from work. Also be vocal about thanking your child for things they do, even if it’s not perfect, or if you had to ask them a few times to do something.
Make Thanks a Part of Mealtime
Saying grace before dinner isn’t something all families want to do, but if not, you can still take a moment to reflect on the work that went into the meal. The farmers, the delivery trucks, the grocery store workers, and, of course, the cook at home who prepared everything. Another option is just to go around the table and have each person say one thing they feel grateful for that day. If it comes to their turn and your child just shrugs indifferently, let it go. They still get the lesson and see how thanks are given.
Let Them Have Boundaries
Families with natural tendencies to show appreciation with hugs, kisses, and other friendly physical gestures may encourage their children to do the same. But try to avoid forcing kids to give hugs and kisses as a sign of appreciation. Let them have their own boundaries because if they’re forced, this gives negative internal feedback about showing appreciation, which could last for some time, even well into adulthood. Instead, help them find other ways that they do feel comfortable with, such as a simple and heartfelt verbal “thank you.”
Families can help kids develop lasting values of gratitude and respect by considering some or all of these easy ideas for showing appreciation. And instilling a healthy sense of gratitude in a child is one of the best things a family can give their child.
Author bio: Soha Fatma is the content and brand strategy writer for Top Florist, a floral delivery company known for creating thoughtfully curated arrangements for any occasion. It is based in The Woodlands, Texas. Soha specializes in content strategy and digital marketing, focusing on crafting editorial and SEO-driven storytelling that amplifies the company’s brand voice, engages consumers, and drives business growth across digital platforms.
