Gratitude Hacks for Kids

Let’s be honest—gratitude is a weird concept for kids. It’s not that they don’t have it or can’t build it; it’s just a very mentalistic idea. You can’t see gratitude. You can’t touch it. You can’t trade it for Pokémon cards.

When you tell a kid, “Be grateful,” it’s kind of like saying, “Please experience a deep internal sense of appreciation for the intangible gifts of your life.” Meanwhile, your child is thinking, Okay, but can I have a snack?

Why Gratitude Feels Abstract for Kids

For a lot of children, the closest they get to gratitude is “thankful,” and that usually comes up around Thanksgiving on a worksheet or construction paper turkey craft. Gratitude is a mindset, not a one-day event, but it’s hard to teach a mindset.

That’s why it can help to make gratitude concrete. Instead of asking, “What are you grateful for?” (which usually results in the classic, “My Family”, which they honestly mean, but don’t really think too deeply about), try this instead:

Ask what they have right now that might be a wish for someone else.
Maybe they have a warm bed, a good friend, a pet who thinks they’re amazing, or the ability to do cartwheels. Have them describe it in detail—what it looks like, feels like, smells like. This isn’t just talk; it’s brainwork. The more they describe, the deeper they process it.

When Envy Hits the Fast-Forward Button

Now, if your child tends to get something new and immediately jump to wanting the next thing, they’re not ungrateful—they’re just accidentally sitting on the fast-forward button of life.

Try this analogy:

“Envy is like the fast-forward button on a remote control. It’s helpful sometimes—you can skip commercials or boring parts—but if you use it too much, you miss the whole movie.”

Encourage them to hit rewind now and then—to remember something good that already happened and really savor it. And most importantly, to live life in play, not fast-forward or rewind.

The Power of “What Is”

Kids are naturally curious, but that curiosity can drift into “what if” land—What if I had that toy? What if we went to Disney? What if I got more screen time?

You can gently guide them toward the mindset of What IS.

“What’s happening right now that’s actually pretty great?”

Because what IS—the friends they have, the moments they’re in, the little joys of the day—is far more powerful than what IF. And don’t be afraid to remind your kids visually if you need to- a gratitude jar or vision board goes a long way.

Bottom Line

Gratitude doesn’t have to be a sermon or a seasonal activity. It’s a skill—one you can sneak into conversations, bedtime reflections, or even car rides. The goal isn’t to make your child perfectly grateful 24/7 (spoiler: that’s not a thing), but to help them pause long enough to see that the movie they’re living right now is worth watching.