Click here for our segment on Good Things Utah on How to raise grateful kids.
Lucky us! Jessie Shepherd, LCMHC and Clinical Director from Blue Clover Therapy stayed with us for not one, but two segments today. Here, we talk about raising a grateful kid. It’s all about making it a lifestyle for both you and them. Your children will be happier and more hopeful adults as a result!
Happier and Hopeful: Studies show that children who are taught to be grateful are happier, more hopeful adults (2018, Journal of Positive Psychology)
Confirmation Bias: When we believe or even act like we believe in something (like we are grateful for the life we have) we start to pay attention to events that reinforce this belief.
Happy Hormones: When we act in a grateful manner, our body releases oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. This gives us a sense of wellbeing and reinforces our environment is safe. This also reinforces the positive act, making us want to do more of it.
Teaching Gratitude:
1. Look.
Look around. What in your life are you grateful for? Who are you grateful for and why?
2. Think.
Stop, think, and check in with yourself. What is your opinion? Is this good for you or not so good? How do we get more good events?
3. Feel.
What emotions do you have? Are they changing the lens you are looking through?
4. Act.
Take action! What can you do to show your gratitude? Verbally tell someone how much you appreciate them.
Making Gratitude a Lifestyle:
– Random acts of kindness: Do something kind for another person without getting credit for it.
– Be a good model: Say thank you often and express your gratitude to others including your child.
– Create a gratitude ritual: Spend a few extra minutes at bedtime expressing gratitude, a quick thankful statement is always welcome before leaving the house. or spending a little extra time around the Sunday dinner table chatting about the positives in your world is a great start.
– Journal: Write down in a journal things you are grateful for. (extra points if you share it with family and friends).
– Pray and Meditate: Taking a breather away from all the distractions in the world is helpful to really focus on what wonderful things you have.
Contact information: www.blueclovertherapy.com IG: @blueclovertherapy
Jessie Shepherd, MA, LCMHC is a Mental Health Counselor in Utah. She has a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Utah. Her focus is treating trauma, eating disorders and adjustment issues in adults, adolescents, children and their families. She utilizes Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Neurological Feedback. She also works with performance anxiety and performance enhancement using EMDR and Neurological Feedback.