How to teach your kids to practice gratitude daily and keep a positive mindset.
Teachers everywhere are trying to come up with a plan AND FAST! How will we teach the curriculum, but focus more on what really matters? How will we help build strong mentally healthy students while not letting all of the academic progress they’ve made this year slip away?
Well, I’ve got an idea!
Gratitude Journals!!! Genius right!??? Ok, so I know I’m not the first person to think of Gratitude Journals, but I do think that in this era we are living in, it’s more important than ever to focus on the positive. We really do have so much to be grateful for! For kids it could be something as little as a bowl of ice cream or jumping on their trampoline! We need to teach kids to get into good habits and I can’t think of a better habit than being grateful!
This journal is a place where kids can practice writing skills such as drawing and labeling, segmenting and sounding out words, forming complete sentences, making a list, etc. At the same time we are helping them form a habit that will develop positive mental health for a lifetime!
Parents can simply print them off and BAM!!! The kids have something that they can write about daily while building good positive mental health! We made a front a back cover for ours. The kids decorated the cover and we put it through the laminator to make it more sturdy. They have loved started their day off with this!
The famous Rachel Hollis (whom I adore) recommends that in order to keep positive mental health, we should all write down 10 things everyday that we are grateful for. She has even published her own journals based on this idea! You can read her blog post here about practicing gratitude in times of chaos. She even has published her own beautiful journals for this purpose. It is important for all of us to shift our mindset to the positive!
We must first shift our perspective to the positive so that our kids can learn to make it a habit of their own!!!
I have been trying to do the following things each day in order to keep a positive perspective:
- Open the blinds
- Work Out for 30 min.
- Get outside (take a walk or bike ride)
- Get ready for the day!
- Play positive music in the house
- Call one friend each day
- Make a list of 10 thinks I’m grateful for.
What about the kids!?!
Shouldn’t we create routines for our kids that keep them positive and motivated for the day! I’ve come up with a smaller list for my own kids. Feel free to use them!
- Blinds/Bed-open the blinds in their rooms to let the light in and make their bed.
- Get read for the day- whatever your normal getting ready routine is. They will feel ready for the school day if they are dressed for school/play
- Read for 30 min.
- Play- kids should be getting outside everyday! They need .structured play and unstructured play
- Gratitude Journals- kids can draw or write down 5 things that made them smile each day. This practice will become a daily habit if you commit to doing it.
You can pick up your own Student Gratitude Journal on my Freebies Page or by clicking here!
Enjoy!
Just printed the gratitude journal. Can’t wait to start using it! It will be neat to look back at each of my kids journal’s next year, 5 years from now and even 10 years from now.
That will be fun to read 10 years from now. My kids have been doing them at the end of the day each day. It’s pretty quick and fun! Keeps them positive!