Did you know that writing a "thank you" note is a simple, proven way to boost a child's gratitude? That's what researchers from the University of California at Davis and Southern Methodist University have found. But they also discovered that being thankful might be the key to raising your child's happiness and well-being. While most of us agree that writing "thank you" cards is a habit of gratitude we should encourage, getting many kids to write them without the whines and complaints is often the problem. So here are a few fun (and sneaky) tricks to getting your kids to write "thank you" for those holidays presents...
Set expectations for gratitude. Be clear and upfront this year. Any present--regardless of the price or size--deserves a "thank you" card. If your kids hear those expectations now, they'll be less likely to put up a battle later.
Enforce the "write then play" rule. Implement one simple family rule: "You must write the thank you note first, and then you may use the gift." Believe me, that mandate speeds up the writing process.
Set age appropriate guidelines. A young child can dictate his comments and only needs to sign his name. School age kids should use this rule from The Etiquette and Leadership Institute at Athens, Georgia: "The total number of sentences in a thank you note should be half the child's age." So a ten-year-old should be expected to write a minimum of five complete sentences.
Turn on kids' creative juices. Another way to get kids more involved in the "thank you" writing process is to ask them to come up with their own unique way of thanking Grandma. A few creative "thank you" card ideas for kids might include:
- Make a video just for that person that expresses appreciation.
- Take a photo of the child wearing or using the gift. The developed four-by-six inch print makes an instant postcard; the child just writes a brief note on the back and addresses and mails it.
- Write the thank you on a piece of card stock and then cut it into a few pieces like a jigsaw puzzle.
- Spell out the thank you use M&M's or alphabet cereal glued on a piece of cardboard.
Happy holidays
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Dr. Michele Borba is the author of over 22 books including
12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know .
译文:
鼓励孩子写“感恩”卡片
你知道吗？写“感谢”卡片是一种简单有效的增强孩子感恩之情的方法。这是在戴维斯的加利福尼亚大学和南卫理公会大学研究发现的结果。同时他们也发现怀有感恩之心是让你的孩子更快乐、更幸福的关键。很多人都同意写“感恩”卡片是一个我们都应该鼓励的习惯，然而让孩子在不诉苦、不抱怨的情况下去写“感恩”卡片却真的是个问题。所以这里有一些有趣的（顽劣的）技巧让你的孩子为收到的假期礼物写“感恩”卡片……
设立对感恩的期望。今年要清楚、坦白地告诉孩子：任何礼物---不管大小和价格---都值得我们写“感恩”卡片。如果你的孩子现在听到这些期望，他们以后就会很少拒绝写“感恩”卡片。
实施“先写后玩”的规则。执行这条简单的家庭规则：“你必须先写感恩卡，然后你才能使用礼物。”相信我，这个规则会使他们写得很快。
提供适合孩子年龄的指导方针。一个小孩只需要签上名字，他就可以发表他的评论。学龄儿童应该使用这个来自雅典礼仪和领导组织的规则。乔治亚：“在感恩卡片上所写句子的总数是孩子年龄的一半。”所以一个十岁的孩子应该至少要写五个完整句子。
培养孩子的创新思维。另一个让孩子更好地写“感恩”卡片的方法就是让他们想出自己独特的方法来感谢奶奶。孩子们的这些具有创意的 “感恩”卡片点子应包括：
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为你要感谢的人制作一个录像。
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拍一张孩子在戴着或者是在用着礼物的相片。四到六寸的相片打印出来后马上就可以制作成一张明信片了；孩子只需在背后写上简单的话语，写上地址就可以把它寄出去了。
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在纸上写上“谢谢”两个字，然后把它切成好几块，就像是一个智力拼图。
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把巧克力或者是字母饼粘在一张硬板纸上，拼成“thank you”这两个字母。
节日快乐。