You can’t force gratitude, but you can model and build it.

“Don’t complain because he/she has it worse,” doesn’t work because:

1-I don’t feel good just because someone else has it worse.

2-Feelings can’t be forced; they have to be felt internally.

Gratitude doesn’t mean “I feel good because the sun is shining outside, and therefore, none of my problems exist.” Instead, healthy gratitude means being real about pain, difficulties, and emotions while at the same time feeling positive about other areas.

So while we can’t force gratitude, we can help people start appreciating positives in their lives.

And that’s what we want to help our children accomplish.

Bit it’s not just gratitude, and it’s not just for children. Almost all growth is dependent on this idea.

We don’t want to push away or invalidate feelings and thoughts. We want to build new appreciations and mindsets instead.

Yisroel Wahl is a behavioral specialist with a decade of experience helping hundreds of children, teens, and adults. Through his private practice, he specializes in helping children and teens who are acting out and falling through the cracks. For help with your child, reach out to 848-245-6124 or [email protected].