How to Make Your Kids More Grateful

You may have seen that new poll the other day that found that most parents think their kids are not as thankful as they should be.

The poll by University of Michigan researchers showed that four out of five parents think children today don’t appreciate what they have.

And according to the report, more than half of the more than 1,000 parents surveyed with kids between four and 10 years-old admit they that spoil their children too much. Another two in five went even further saying they’re sometimes “embarrassed by how selfish their child acts.”

The co-director of the national poll, a public health specialist, says we all know that being grateful can be good for mental and physical health. But she says gratitude is not something that children usually acquire automatically; it needs to be nurtured, in an age-appropriate way.”

The survey found that 88% of parents say they regularly encourage their children to say “please” and “thank you.” And researchers say that’s a good thing and that’s where it starts.

But experts on parenting, including parents who have been doing it for a while, say modeling good behavior is as important, if not even more important, as just telling your kids to be grateful. And all of us parents learn that sooner or later.

READ MORE about the study.

(Photo Getty Images)