Appreciation is all tied to being valued
If you appreciate something or someone
Then you will also value the item or person
Appreciation is in the family of Good Manners
Its not only the big things
Its about appreciating the small things too
Everyone wants to be appreciated
How can we teach our children about appreciation ?
Imagine if you were to do a big party, you spent the whole week before planning and organising, cooking and shopping, you spent the night of the party circulating, being a good host/hostess. You one aim for the party was to make sure everyone had a good time.
How would you feel if at the end of the party, you look around at all the debris and realise that not a single guest and thanked you for your effort
it would no longer matter to you that everyone had had an enjoyable time, you would question the whole evening, its success, its point and if it was worth it.
However, if your guests thanked you and passed on how they had enjoyed their time, if there had been some offers of help to clear up, or even to discover that some of the clearing up had been done for you.............. then you would feel appreciated and mark the evening a success.
When eating a family meal, we can introduce these kinds of manners to our children in very simple and effective ways
Teach them to clear their plates up,
When they no longer need reminding, praise them and make them feel their effort was noticed and appreciated
Teaching children appreciation especially at this time of year is always good
Make sure that you encourage your children to write Thank you cards/letters to those who gave them presents
Birthdays too are a time of writing Thankyou notes
By encouraging this we are showing our children to readily show the value we give to others kindness
Good Manners are an important aspect of Appreciation
Teach your child to say Thankyou as they leave a meal table, explain they are thanking the person who made the effort to provide them with their meal, whether it is in their own home or out visiting friends and family
Well mannered children will always go a long way in life, not because they are necessarily better but others will also give more time and attention to those with polite and good mannered.
Appreciate the love your child has for you
Appreciate the pictures they bring home from school
Appreciate when they tidy up their toys when you ask
Appreciate that they go to bed when you tell them
Appreciate the way their faces light up when you have time for them
Appreciate the trust they put in us as their parents
Appreciate that you may not always agree with them
Appreciate that they are entitled to think differently from you
So many ways we can show our children the value of appreciation
And if we teach it well
They will one day appreciate it
(December 2007) (
