What is GRATITUDE? Gratitude is simply the quality of being thankful. When we learn to practice gratitude from a young age, science shows that it pays off in DIVIDENDS in the areas of mental health.

Want to check GRATITUDE off of your Virtues and Values checklist??? Comment GRATITUDE for a free checklist download!

Looking for fun ways to practice GRATITUDE as a family?  Try one of these:

1. Plant a gratitude garden : Plant a small garden, indoor or out. Assign each item planted to something that you are grateful for as a family. Enjoy watching each one of them grow, and allow it to serve as daily reminders for what your family is thankful for.

2. Write thank you cards : Ask your children to select a few people in their lives that they are thankful for, and urge them to express themselves by creating custom Thank You cards for them. Ask curiosity questions that will get them thinking about what they may particularly be thankful for with this special person.

3. Do something kind for a stranger : This can be as simple as holding the door open for someone or extending a compliment to the cashier at the grocery store. When we incorporate small acts of kindness into our day, our children learn what it is like to both give and receive gratitude.