Make gratitude a daily practice. Dinner time or bedtime routines offer a great opportunity for families to share what they are most grateful for. Whether our children are grateful for a new toy, a visit with grandma, or their favorite ice cream, the regular practice of recognizing what they are grateful for directs their focus toward the good in their life.

Express your gratitude for your children: We can let our children know how happy we are to have them by telling them so and sharing how much we appreciate what is special about them.

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Teach kids to share their things and their time. Encouraging our children to donate their old toys and clothing can be a great way to teach our children kindness toward others and gratitude for all they have. The more we can involve our kids in this process (by discussing how others benefit from their donated items or having them come along to deliver them) the more personal and meaningful it will be for them.

Children can also volunteer! With our help,  even young children can reap the benefits of volunteering. Whether by participating in formalized volunteer efforts such as visiting nursing homes, or more informally by including them in preparing meals for a sick friend, or running errands for an elderly neighbor.

Teach the value of "Thank you". We can teach our children to take time to express their gratitude by encouraging them to make thank you calls or write thank you notes. This practice can go beyond thanking people for gifts, to include writing notes to teachers, coaches, friends or family who have spent time with them, or done something nice for them. This practice not only encourages children to appreciate their experiences (not just their things) but also the importance of expressing their gratitude to others-a practice that has been shown to boost our happiness (not to mention the joy it brings to others!).