ABSTRACT
One of the first things we teach children to say is “thank you.” But how do you teach someone to feel it. Gratitude usually comes with maturity, after years of experience, real-life lessons, usually following an emotional event—a close call that scared us, a selfish act that hurt us, or a loving moment that comforted us.
Can gratitude rise to the level of happiness as an aspirational state of being?
Can we learn to recognize and acknowledge small moments of gratitude when we feel them?
Can the concept of gratitude become an underpinning for your daily life, part of who you are?
What behaviors reinforce that feeling so it becomes a habit? What skills can we practice in order to be better at being grateful? And are there ways children can practice gratitude through their learning and play, so it will become a skill they carry into adulthood? If so, how do we help their adult caregivers to also engage in the practice of gratitude so it will become embedded into the family routine? Gratitude is a social emotion, often dependent on an interaction with another person. As a result, a children’s museum is a perfect place to practice the skills needed to build our gratitude muscles. Activities that prompt cooperation, communication, sharing, and interaction with strangers can be effective in exploring the concept of gratitude.
