Gratitude Meditation for Children

Description

Gratitude meditation for children is a lovely meditation to help children understand the concept of gratitude, appreciation, being thankful, and the willingness to show kindness to others.

Gratitude meditation – What is it?

Gratitude meditation is an undervalued practice that is proven to make people happier! So why don’t we all do it? I think the answer to this is, that people are so busy reaching for things they don’t have like a new car or a better job, that they forget to be thankful for what they have and to take joy in the present.

According to Wikipedia, gratitude is defined as “a feeling of appreciation felt by and/or similar positive response shown by the recipient of kindness, gifts, help, favours, or other types of generosity, towards the giver of such gifts. Gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness, originate from the Latin word gratus “pleasing, thankful”.

Helping children to understand gratitude and to be thankful, enables feelings of joy, peace, and trust. Children learn gratitude, they most certainly are not born with it!! It is our job as parents and educators to bring their attention to all the loving people and wonderful things they have in life and to be happy with this. Once children understand that others have feelings and experience emotions much as they do, they will begin to learn the joy of giving, of seeing someone’s smile when they have bestowed kindness.

Teaching children the importance of showing kindness to others and being grateful for our gifts in life is so important. Being grateful turns what we have into enough. Here are two of my favourite quotes about gratitude:

Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” – Buddha

With the backing music from the amazing Christopher Lloyd Clarke this gratitude meditation provides a mindful moment of which to be grateful and is suitable for primary school-aged children.

Enjoy!