Ideas for expressing gratitude with a preschooler by CarOline Conway

​Giving thanks can be a hard concept to share with preschoolers. One way we have found success in learning to give thanks and show gratitude is through small acts of kindness specific to our child’s interests or schedule. Last year our street had major roadwork delays. We were often stuck for long periods of time in traffic and we would spend that time talking about the work each team was doing on the road. One day we baked cookies and put them into small baggies. The next day we loaded a basket filled with our goodies into the car and when we got stuck in the traffic line, we rolled down our windows handed the crew the treats. The look of surprise and gratitude from the workmen was clear and it was infectious for our preschooler. It launched many other ideas of ways we could give thanks that year – a gift or hand drawn card for the garbage men on trash day, the mailman, the dogs on the trail, etc. The key was keeping the act relevant to their world and keeping it small. This helped make the lesson of gratitude not only sink in, but also kept it sincere.