Gratitude Journals for Kids

Most people would say that saying “Thank you” is both powerful and important. However, gratitude extends far beyond that. It is both an attitude and an action. As parents, teaching a young child to express thankfulness during Thanksgiving and throughout the year is pertinent to fostering happiness, gratefulness, and contentment from simple joys. Thankfulness not only improves our relationships, but it also improves empathy, emotional intelligence, sleep, physical health, self-esteem, and psychological health, and it builds resilience from trauma. As parents, raising our kids to be appreciative and grateful is easier when we can use a practical tool. Gratitude Journals are a tangible way to introduce your little ones to thankfulness in a fun and creative way! It provides an avenue for them to express joy, document their feelings, and save inspirational quotes, and it is a fun, healthy habit to maintain. However, mindfulness and gratitude seem to have become a low priority in this hectic, stressful world.

So, how do we help foster this attitude of gratitude within our kids? A gratitude journal for kids is simple: children write down thankful thoughts, ideas, or blessings they have witnessed daily. The journal can be introduced as a fun activity that involves gratitude practice and expressing gratitude to young children. Studies have shown that this type of activity helps instill kindness and can significantly benefit a child’s physical and psychological health. Not only does it foster a healthy habit, but journaling also normalizes expressing gratitude and maintaining a positive attitude.

Studies have shown that writing in a gratitude journal for at least 15 minutes a day, five days a week—for at least six weeks tremendously impacts individual happiness. But what exactly are gratitude journals, and how can we help our kids utilize them?

Gratitude for Kids: What Is a Gratitude Journal?

A gratitude journal is just as it sounds: a journal in which you can write down what you are grateful for. There are many ways to express gratitude for kids; nothing is too big or too small. It can be as simple as sharing a meal with family or as elaborate as listing the people you know and the contributions they have made in your life. The importance here is the habit of writing down positive things and building mindfulness in younger kids.

How To Put It Into Practice

The more enthusiastic the adults are, the more excited the kids will be. So, as with anything else we do with them, start by making this activity fun and collaborative. You can take your kids to the store to pick out their own journals or buy plain ones to decorate and personalize at home. Then, talk to your kids about the journals and what they can write in them. Sometimes, starting with gratitude prompts or posing them as a challenge will help build more excitement. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss the importance of thankfulness and gratitude in daily life. Just remember, gratitude journaling for kids should be fun! Inspire your children to open up and really think about what they are thankful for.

There truly is no wrong way to fill a gratitude journal, but here are some tips to teach your children the value of appreciation:

• When first starting, it’s easiest to convey gratitude in the best way you can to your kids—showing them examples of what you are grateful for and what others are grateful for. Encourage them to be specific. While writing “I am thankful for food” is easier, it takes more intentionality and thoughtfulness to write, “I am grateful for our delicious dinner and my sister who makes me laugh.” Similarly, instead of writing, “I am thankful for my friends,” encourage your children to write the names of their friends and even specific character traits or things they have done that they are grateful for.
• Try to get your kids to be personal with their answers. Tell your child to focus on the people in their lives or experiences they are thankful for instead of physical objects. This can help improve your child’s emotional intelligence and relationships and show actual value for young children.
• If they get stuck and can’t think of anything to write, ask them to consider their lives without certain people or things. This can spark some deep thankfulness!
• Remember that gratitude can also be expressed artistically. Your kids can scribble, draw, paint, or color in their journals to represent what they are thankful for. This practice is also great for younger ones who cannot yet write or kids who don’t like to write. They can also include photographs of things they love, favorite places, or people that they appreciate.
• Keeping a gratitude journal is only part of the process. It is just as important to help your kids develop a habit of writing and journaling regularly. Helping your kids start one can be a great way to do so. Journaling is just one of many healthy habits that help develop compassion. Encouraging consistency will do wonders for your kids and your family, whether this means setting aside specific days or times of the week, having it as a requirement before allotted screen time, or filling the journals out together as a family and discussing it over dinner.
• Also, consider practicing gratitude as a family project. Together, create a “Family Gratitude Book” and implement other gratitude activities for kids in your daily lives.

This is an interactive activity that will get all members involved and participating. Encourage everyone to add photos, notes, drawings, and mementos of anything they want to include. Try sitting down with the family at least once a month to continue to fill out your Family Gratitude Book. You can even make a family gratitude challenge to create daily prompts for everyone to write about or make a quick list just to make sure you all are getting some kind of daily practice.

Overall, incorporating gratitude journaling into your family’s lifestyle can help teach thankfulness and mindfulness to your children, even if it’s not a daily habit. We all want them to grow up to be well-rounded, empathic, compassionate, and caring adults, and cultivating an attitude of gratitude is one way to do just that!