Teaching Gratitude at Academy Preschools in Nashville

In May, we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week at The Academy. We showered our teachers with love and appreciation. This was a perfect way to teach our children more about gratitude. Showing gratitude is an expression of thankfulness and appreciation for what you already have. The commercial atmosphere that we live in does not particularly engender an attitude of gratefulness. So being grateful must be “taught.”

The Benefits of Being Grateful

Proactively recognizing and expressing gratitude makes a person happier, more relaxed, and helps create a positive mindset. Research confirms that a person’s social, physical, and emotional well-being are increased by having a grateful spirit. Some research shows that grateful people have better relationship skills, are more trusting of others, have less stress, can bounce back from challenges better, are less jealous, and sleep better.

Teaching Gratefulness at Home

Our preschool teachers teach gratefulness every day, but you can reinforce this at home too. The first place that almost every parent starts is by reminding a child to say, “thank you.”

But there are so many things to be grateful for that don’t require a “thank you.” To teach your child to look for these things, try setting up a regular time every day to make a list. This can be after dinner or before bedtime. It doesn’t have to take long. You can start by adding only thing to the list each day. To get started, click the form on the right to open and print.

And don’t forget to teach by example. Make your own list of things that you are grateful for and share them with your child. Include little things, such as the smell of honeysuckle in your back yard or the taste of chocolate cake. And, of course, include big things such as having a place to live or a car to drive.

About the Academy

The Academy has 11 preschool locations in Nashville. We currently have preschools in Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, Nashville, and Spring Hill.

At The Academy, we like to say “seeing in believing.” We invite you to request more information and schedule a tour of an Academy location near you.