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Gratitude and Bullying Prevention?

I believe that appreciation

Greetings!! Happy November!!

With the holidays coming up we talk a lot about gratitude, which is great. I believe that being grateful and modeling and nurturing gratefulness in our children and students is an extremely important part of bullying prevention and spreading kindness. Being grateful and bullying do not go hand in hand. When there is a spirit and environment in which gratefulness thrives there is likely to be less bullying. 

As with many things, gratitude can become a habit. It can become an attitude through which we live our life. There are many ways to nurture attitudes of gratitude. Of course one of the most important ways is to model an attitude of gratitude. If we practice thinking, talking and behaving in ways that demonstrate gratefulness throughout the day, it is sure to influence those around us, in particular, children. It is also important to notice and share when your child or student demonstrates a grateful attitude. 

The true spirit of generosity and gratitude can get lost in all the commercialism that surrounds us especially at this time of year. I found an inspiring article describing what a counselor at one school did to put meaning and gratitude into a holiday celebration with her students. Nurturing gratitude instills a sense of community and fosters empathy, all part of bullying prevention.  Please take a minute to read the article here and think about how you might incorporate some of her ideas into your classroom or home.

Find more information and ideas for fostering kindness and gratitude in children (and ourselves) here. 🙂

May you have a kindness-filled day!  🙂

Ann (Jeremiah’s mom)

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