Family Life

Inspiring An Attitude Of Gratitude


As we enter the New Year, it is important to be grateful for God’s goodness and mercies on our lives by inspiring an attitude of gratitude.

An attitude of gratitiude is not only important for parents to have but it is important for children as well. While many parents understand the concept of gratitude, the challenge however for parents is making gratitude a concrete, everyday experience.

Here are some tips to help instill an attitude of gratitude in your children:


1. Display gratitude in practice

Display an attitude of gratitude at home. For example, tell your children that you are grateful for their own acts of kindness e.g. cleaning up after a younger sibling, helping out in the home etc.

You can show gratitude for your child’s help by saying, “I’m very appreciative that you helped with tidying the house today. You took your time and you did a good job. Thank you.”

Saying thank you is one good example of how to demonstrate gratitude. You also display gratitude when you thank your spouse in front of your children.

Tell your spouse often that you appreciate and are grateful for what they do and for their presence. Doing this in front of children will demonstrate that their parents appreciate each other and don’t take each other for granted.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.” –Melodie Beatty

2. Prayer is a good way to show gratitude

Whether you are a muslim or a christian, praying is one way we show gratitude to God for His goodness and mercies.

Saying the grace or another prayer before a family meal or thanking God during family prayer sessions for example is one way of expressing thanks.

Expressing gratitude as part of a daily routine can help reinforce an attitude of gratitude in a continuous way.

3. Expose your children to diverse life experiences

One good way to inspire an attitude of gratitude in children is to expose them to diverse life experiences.

Taking your children to poorer parts of the city you live in or taking them to visit poorer relatives is a good way to inspire an attitude of gratitude. When children are sheltered and protected its easy for them to not realise how lucky they are.

Seeing how other people live for example will give them perspective and a sense of how their lives are compared to others.

When you make gratitude a way of life in your home, you will notice that over time and perhaps years, your children will develop an appreciation for you and the world you have created for them. And as your children mature and grow into adults, their ability to communicate appreciation and gratitude will emerge.

What are other ways parents can inspire an attitude of gratitude in children? Tell us in the comments:

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Activities You Can Do To Ring In The New Year

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Activities You Can Do To Ring In The New Year


Everyone gets excited about ringing in the New Year.

In Nigeria, one common way to ring in the New Year depending on religious affliation, is to go to church or pray at home. But do you know that there are additional ways for you to ring in the New Year with children?

The following are fun things you can do with your children on New Year’s eve.


1. Writing New Year resolutions or wishlists

One fun way to bring in a New Year is to have your children write out their New Year resolutions on a piece of paper. They can also fill out what they learned this year and what they hope to do next year.

2. Create a blessings jar

The end of an old year is a good time to reflect on all the blessing received during the year.

A good idea to help instill an attitude of gratitude in your child’s heart is to create a blessing jar. While reflecting together as a family, every member of the family can write a blessing they have received on a piece of paper, fold it up, and stick it in a jar.

Next New Year’s Eve, you can pour out all the blessings from the previous year and go through it together as a family.

3. Have a New Year’s eve party

This party does not have to involve decor, music or heavy preparations.

You can choose to have a simple slumber or pyjama party with your children and their friends in your living room.

Bring out pillows, duvets, mats, stuffed toys and some DVDs the children can watch e.g.  Toy Story, Kung Fu Panda, Cars, Harry Potter, Princess Diaries, Hannah Montana etc.

If you have a karaoke machine, let the kids be as loud as they want while singing their favourite songs.

4. Create a time capsule

You can choose to create a time capsule instead of a blessings jar. Have your children write anything they want to remember along with their resolutions in a container and then hide it till next year.

You can imagine how much fun it will be to read all their thoughts from the previous year, next New Year’s eve.

5. Watch other countries ring in the New Year on TV

Once you’ve said your prayers and wished all members of the family, Happy New Year, you can all seat down to watch how other countries ring in the New Year on TV.

If you are in the city of Lagos, you can also watch, the Lagos Countdown, The Biggest New Year’s Eve Party in Africa which is held at the Bar Beach on TV with the kids.

This event can be streamed live or watch on various Nigerian TV stations.

What activities are you going to do with your kids on New Year’s Eve?

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