What are the health benefits of establishing a gratitude practice? Do the benefits extend to children? And what are Engage the Brain students grateful for?
As the calendar flips to November, and the obligatory photos of pumpkins and Norman Rockwell-like Thanksgiving feasts pop up on Instagram and other social media sites, remember to sprinkle a heavy dose of gratitude into your daily thoughts.
Engage the Brain is grateful for all the students who elect to come to us to receive services ranging from Executive Functions coaching and Orton-Gillingham instruction for dyslexia to Speech Language Therapy and multi-sensory math instruction.
We might be onto something with sharing our gratitude.
Because the research is clear. Establishing and maintaining a gratitude practice is good for your health. UCLA Health states that benefits of a formal gratitude practice include reduced depression, anxiety and stress; a gratitude practice also supports heart health.
Positive Psychology chimes in and shares that the benefits of gratitude include more satisfaction with life, being less materialistic, enjoying better sleep, and exhibiting greater resiliency. All these benefits by simply honing in on what you are grateful for.
Gratitude in children
But what about gratitude in children? Do all these amazing benefits extend to the younger members of society?
Yes, they do!
However, Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan states that kids do not naturally acquire gratitude; it must be nurtured in age-appropriate ways.
A good starting point is to encourage children to notice the difference between tangible acts, such as receiving a gift, and intangible acts, such as spending time. Help your kids learn to recognize both and to be grateful for each.
It is also critical to note that gratitude is more than just saying thank you. The American Psychological Association suggests asking questions of your kids when an opportunity presents itself to be grateful. “How do you feel when you receive the gift?” Build an awareness of the sensations and feelings.
Children’s Hospital of Orange County states that benefits of gratitude for kids can balance out those challenging emotions that many teenagers face. It may also start a chain of kindness, where one person does something nice for you, then you are more likely to want to pay it forward with another act of kindness.
And of course, it is important to model gratitude. According to a study, grateful parents have grateful kids. Gratitude also can increase social connections, another marker of good mental health. ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) shared a study that found teens made better and more meaningful connections on social media when practicing gratitude. And, it did not increase their online usage.
Finally, the Raising Grateful Children Project at UNC Chapel Hill has shared that gratitude has four key parts:
- Noticing: Recognizing the things you have to be grateful for.
- Thinking: Thinking about why you’ve been given those things.
- Feeling: The emotions you experience due to the things you’ve been given.
- Doing: The way you express appreciation.
Piggybacking off of what Michigan Medicine suggests about nurturing gratitude in kids, parents can ask questions to foster each of these four elements. For example, What do you have in your life to be grateful for? (noticing) What do you think about this gift? (thinking) How did you feel receiving this gift? (feeling) Is there a way to show how you feel about this present? (doing)
Engage the Brain students express their gratitude
Engage the Brain Learning Specialists from the different academic areas we serve asked students what they were grateful for. Specialists are trained in Orton-Gillingham (the gold standard for dyslexia instruction), Speech Language Pathology, Executive Functions Coaching, Multi-sensory math, written expression, and reading comprehension.
Here is a sampling of the students’ replies:
“I am grateful to come to Engage the Brain because it is a lot of fun. It is better than doing my work at home.” L.P.
“Engage the Brain is fun. I appreciate the help with math. Everyone is so nice here. I feel happy to come to Engage the Brain.” M.V.
“I am grateful for Ms. Sabrina (who teaches Orton-Gillingham) because she is creative and really kind.” -Taylor H
“Finally! Someone understands me, and it’s not my fault.” 7 year-old student upon being tested for and diagnosed with dyslexia at Engage the Brain.
“I’m thankful for being at the school with all my friends, and I love learning here.” Aubrey, a student in the North Park Learning Group, a hybrid homeschool program.
“I like learning new things, new ways to help me write and do school work.” Middle school student.
“I like that learning is fun, and I like the trampoline.” 8 year-old student.
These students are well on their way to reaping all the wonderful benefits that come with practicing gratitude.
Final thoughts
Gratitude seems synonymous with November. But the plethora of health benefits associated with a daily gratitude practice ought to make it a year-round focus. From reduced stress and better sleep to greater satisfaction with life and more resiliency, these advantages extend to both adults and children alike. However, parents need to guide and nurture kids to develop a meaningful sense of gratitude. Like any other skill you want your child to master, explicitly teach your child how to focus on the key parts of gratitude, such as thinking about being grateful and expressing gratitude in tangible – and intangible – ways.
Engage the Brain encourages all of our families to establish a gratitude practice and to continue with it 12 months a year.