Thank you!
Two simple but powerful words. The phrase “thank you” shows appreciation to others and demonstrates good manners. Since I was raised by an English mom, good manners were instilled in me from the moment I was born — and now, I’m pretty certain it is in my DNA. I made sure to teach my kids the importance of saying “please” and “thank you”. I wasn’t sure it stuck, given how often my son misbehaved at home, but I was pleasantly surprised one day when another parent complimented my son’s manners. It was nice to know that he is polite when he is at a friend’s house!
Be grateful for the little things in life
A year ago, we were heading straight into a pandemic and the uncertainty was overwhelming. Personally, my anxiety got the best of me; I was worried about keeping my family safe, and grocery shopping became like an episode of “Survivor” as I tried to find food, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Who knew that getting the last pack of toilet paper would be one of those “little things in life” to be grateful for!
This past year, I discovered the benefits of showing gratitude and saying “thank you”. It took on a different meaning and emotion for me. When I ventured out to the store, I made it a point to say “thank you” to the workers for being there to take care of us: from the employee meticulously cleaning the shopping carts, to the stockers running products to the shelves, and to the cashier braving the busy checkout. Seeing their reaction and their gratitude had a positive impact on me; they immediately perked up and sometimes, they even thanked me for thanking them! I felt happy and calm when I left the store. Making someone else smile is rewarding.
An Attitude of Gratitude
Challenge your child to keep a gratitude journal; it doesn’t matter their age! have them write down how many things they are grateful for, or how many things they like about themselves. Having a grateful heart can make a person happier and healthier. Here’s a website that talks about the health benefits of gratitude.
Benefits of Gratitude
The benefits of gratitude are taught through the Social Emotional Learning Enhancement Application (SELENA) under one of the five core topics, “Self-Regulation”. Teaching kids to say “thank you” and to have a thankful attitude are important; it can help them to be happier and it will teach them the importance of making someone else smile. Even though I taught my kids to say “please” and “thank you” I failed to teach them the importance of it or the benefits of showing gratitude. Not only does it make others happy, but it also makes us happy as well.
A co-worker once told me that I say “thank you” too much!! Is that even possible? I need to call my mom and ask her!!!
P.S. THANK YOU for reading my blog, I hope it made you smile!!