Thank you November and December for all the good advice about giving and caring!!!!

As we start the new month of January and the New Year of 2014, we are happy to focus on the wonderful concept of “a new beginning.”  At the same time, however, it is probably a good idea to keep in mind some of our former empathetic thoughts.

In the article The Art of Raising Children with a Gratitude Attitude published in the December 24, 2013 issue of The Wall Street Journal, we get a good reminder. From that we learn from several studies to hold on to our “giving and caring” attitude.

One study of high school students “found that those who showed high levels of gratitude, for instance thankfulness for the beauty of nature and strong appreciation for other people, reported having stronger GPAs, less depression and envy and a more positive outlook than less grateful teens.” Other studies confirmed!

Hofstra’s Dr. Froh says, “Express gratitude to your spouse. Thank your kids. By reinforcing this, kids will internalize the idea”, and do it on their own.”

On the other hand… Dr. Watkins cautions, “Don’t shove it down their throats. His family gives thanks at Thanksgiving, but it’s not a formal process. “Don’t make this, ‘It’s your turn, so say something whether you feel it or not.’ he says.”

“Dr. Emmons believes gratitude is actually easier for kids.” Here’s the part I like the best…

“Kids have a natural affinity to gratitude. They often teach parents as much or more about gratitude than the other way around.”

January! The Month of the New Beginning

Enjoy a “new beginning” filled with an “old-fashioned” sense of good caring.