When your child complains or gripes, try to help them see things on the brighter side
According to research, thankful children are happy children. Georgina Blaskey reveals how gratitude starts at home
My son came home with a chart from school recently in which they had to fill in three things every day for a week: firstly, a good thing about today; secondly, something I am grateful for; thirdly, I will make someone smile tomorrow by? It was a school-wide exercise for prep-age children to make them aware of the importance of gratitude, an emotion we experience most days as, ?say thank you? or ?stop feeling sorry for yourself?, but in fact, is a mindset with

far-reaching implications way more powerful.
Before we look at what methods such as a gratitude chart can teach our children, it?s vital to understand why it matters. Gratitude is healthy ? physically and mentally ? so as a practice, it?s as relevant to adults as children. Demonstrating gratitude can open up new relationships, as good manners can win people over, so teaching those please and thank yous from a young age will count. A 2012 study found that grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people. Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology in America, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and wellbeing ? his research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression. When you practice gratitude, you?re less likely t...