Thankful All Year Round: How Gratitude Makes Children Happy and Healthy

The human mind is a finicky thing. We might have a thousand things going well for us, but our minds seem destined to search for—and focus on—the aspects of our lives that we wish were different. 

Thankfulness, it turns out, is not a natural human instinct. But recent studies have shown that taking time to deliberately practice gratitude can have undeniable mental and physical health benefits.

A number of well-respected authors and motivational speakers have professed that gratitude seems to open the mind’s door to positive emotions. When we meditate, pray, or write in a gratitude journal, negative thoughts and emotions seem to fade away. “It’s impossible to be angry and grateful simultaneously,” writes Tony Robbins. “When you’re grateful, there is no fear. You can’t be fearful and grateful simultaneously.”

Gratitude’s effects on children

For children navigating the many challenges of growing up in 2020, the benefits of practicing gratitude can be particularly helpful. Research presented to the American Psychological Association has shown that grateful youth are more likely to be happy and satisfied with their lives. Thankful kids also get better grades and are more likely to have trusting relationships.

In one short-term study, researchers instructed a group of middle school students to list five things they were grateful for each day, then compared them to another group who were asked to write about pet peeves and hassles. After just two weeks, the gratitude group was associated with more life satisfaction and optimism, as well as fewer physical ailments and negative emotions. 

Gratitude works over the long term too. Researchers asked 700 children ages 10 to 14 to complete questionnaires at the beginning of a study, and then again four years later. When comparing the most grateful 20% to the least grateful 20%, the teens with the most gratitude were significantly happier with their lives and more hopeful about their futures, while reporting fewer negative emotions and depressive symptoms.

Gratitude in schools

Educators at the K-12 level have taken note of these findings, and many have taken action to make gratitude a regular part of the curriculum. Leadership Public Schools, a network of high schools in California’s Bay Area, use an app called GiveThx for five minutes every day. The app helps staff and students send thank you notes to each other, building relationships in the process. A 2017 study by California State University found that regular use of GiveThx resulted in improved relationships, mental health, and positive social behaviors, as well as decreases in depression and anxiety.

In Battle Creek, Michigan, where I teach middle school, gratitude is a district-wide practice. Students begin the day with a 30-minute advisory period, where they regularly engage in class discussions and writing assignments based on virtue and acknowledging the goodness in life. Prompts and videos from TrueSuccess help stimulate these discussions. 

Gratitude at home

According to the research, the backbone of an at-home gratitude practice is a gratitude journal. Children can be encouraged to write down five things they are thankful for every day or week, then watch as the journal builds over time. This can, of course, be done with old school pen and paper, or in the form of blogs, audio recordings, and videos. 

As children get into this habit, the basic “list five things” can be replaced with prompts such as:

  • Noticing the intentions of others (i.e. the thought behind a gift)

  • Appreciating costs—what do others give up when they choose to spend time with us?

  • Recognizing the value of benefits—how are our lives improved by what others have done?

Applied consistently, these practices can foster habits of gratitude that help children to be happy and healthy well into adulthood.

A career educator, Sean Galvin holds a PhD in education from Eastern Michigan University and a Master's in education from the University of Michigan. Currently a middle school teacher for Battle Creek Public Schools, he has taught and run student mentorship and enrichment programs at both the high school and middle school levels. Hisdissertation covers the role of mentorship and student incentives in driving learning outcomes.

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