5 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude in Kids at Christmas

When it comes to our kids’ hearts at Christmas, it’s hard to compete with the luster of presents. But an attitude of gratitude is a character trait we want to instill in our kids. Here are 5 ways you can cultivate gratitude in your kids during the Christmas season.

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Has it ever struck you as odd (and maybe even icky) how we go straight from a holiday celebrating being thankful for the good in our lives… to a season that has increasingly become about getting more stuff?? With less than a day’s pause, we go right from Thanksgiving into the frenzy of wish lists and shopping and presents, oh my.

Is it any wonder that kids get a serious case of the “gimme”s this time of year? After spending a day telling them how important it is to give thanks and appreciate our blessings, we surround them with constant talk of presents. All thoughts of gratitude vanish in the excitement of what they’re going to get for Christmas.

One of the things Levon and I decided long ago was that we wanted to push back against the infectious spirit of entitlement that is so prevalent nowadays. We’ve worked hard on that, but I recently got to thinking about how much more intentional we need to be during the Christmas season, when so much seems to center around getting more “stuff.” And I came up with the following ideas.

5 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude in Kids During the Christmas Season

Make Christmas about more than gifts

A good way to foster gratitude in kids during the Christmas season is taking the spotlight off the presents and shining it on the true reason for the season. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t give gifts. Gifts are fun, and kids are, of course, going to look forward to them. (I still look forward to them!) But we can make sure presents are a fun tradition and not the focal point of the Christmas season.

Related Post: How to Keep Christ in Your Family’s Christmas
Limit gifts

Kids are super fun to shop for, I know. Believe me, I know! I could go crazy buying everything my kids would love, if I let myself. But limiting the gifts at Christmas curbs the entitlement and greed that can so quickly grow from a pile of presents.

You could even talk to your kids about money! Use this as an opportunity to discuss costs, budgets, and stewardship of family finances. We can foster gratitude in our kids by explaining that everything has a cost, and that spending money on one thing means less money for other things.
Find opportunities for them to give

Another great way to cultivate gratitude in kids during the Christmas season is to find ways for them to give to others. Invite them to go through their toys and put together a box to donate, participate in a program providing gifts to kids in need, have them pick out (and buy, if possible) gifts for their siblings, or volunteer somewhere as a family.
Weave gratitude into your everyday life

Thanksgiving shouldn’t be the only day you talk about what you’re thankful for as a family. Throughout the Christmas season (and beyond!), look for and point out opportunities to be thankful. Gratitude shouldn’t be a one-time event, but rather a thread woven throughout the tapestry of your family’s everyday life.

Related Post: 20 Gratitude Prompts for Kids of All Ages
Lead by example

I left this for last, but it should really be first, because the very best way to foster gratitude in our kids during the Christmas season is by modeling it ourselves! We have to be more thankful for what we have than excited about what we can get. We have to keep our heart’s focus on the real meaning of Christmas. We have to have generous hearts. And we have to practice gratitude in our daily lives. Before we can cultivate gratitude in our kids, we have to grow it in ourselves.

I think we’d all say we want to raise kids who are grateful and generous rather than greedy and entitled. There are many ways we can work on that throughout the year, but our highly commercialized Christmas season takes special intentionality. It’s a breeding ground for the “gimme gimme”s. (Which is ironic, since it comes on the heels of a holiday all about giving thanks.) But the tips above will help curb that and foster gratitude in our kids throughout the Christmas season.

SHARE WITH US: What tips would add for cultivating gratitude in kids during the Christmas season? Share them in the comments below!