2. Thank each other for small things during dinner. If your dinners are anything like mine, I’m forgetting ketchup for the fries or my daughter needs a refill of milk. So it’s a gold mine for saying thank you. In Japanese culture, we say a quick thanks before we eat and somehow my daughter has picked up on that. So she often starts the dinner with “thank you, papa for this delicious dinner” ahhh warms my heart <3

3. Don’t make Christmas and birthdays too much about gifts. Put more emphasis on experiences and tradition such as pancake breakfast, a “yes day”, special outing to the zoo, meal with friends, decorating the house with balloons and streamers. The more toys children have, the less they appreciate each of those things. 

4. Take the time to discuss the things we have in our lives that others may not have. Some kids have special toys that your family may not have. Your family may have things that others can’t afford. 

5. Have your kids donate toys, give meals and supplies to the homeless. Starting at a young age, clear out some toys to give away. This is especially useful in December before Santa comes. You can also utilize local Buy Nothing groups or even have a garage sale.

6. Last but not least, model the behavior that you want to see in your child. As parents we must declutter our own closets, say thank you to others for their kindness, and express appreciation for what we have instead of constantly buying new things. If we can’t show them how to live a grateful life, how can we expect them to do it on their own too?

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Here are some ways you can use your gratitude tokens.

1. Give them to a friend or stranger who made your day more special. Did the barista make your coffee EXACTLY the way you like it? Was the server nice even though in hindsight you were a little rude (because you were hangry and having a bad day)? Thank them and give them a token. And don’t forget their tip!
2. Improve morale and productivity at work by recognizing team players. When I worked in an office everyone was quick to point out what you can do better. But I rarely heard people mention the things that were going well. It really should be the opposite. Thank people for good attitude, going above and beyond, being a team player, or simply being pleasant and fun to work with.
3. Teach gratitude by giving your children coins to hand out to others. Hand several tokens to your child and go out for errands. Look for opportunities to say thank you to someone. Point out the nice things people do and see if your child volunteers to give it away. You may learn something about your child.
4. Use in a kindness activity with your students, scout troops, or club. With more and more stories of school bullying and shooting, let’s remember to be kind to one another. If you’re a teacher, perhaps pass them out as a class assignment. How did the student feel about receiving a token? How did they feel about giving one away? Was it hard to give it away? Would they do it again?
5. Thank members in your volunteer or social groups. Use them with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Meetup groups, knitting groups, mom groups, and more! Hand out a token at the beginning of each meeting to call out a member and something special they did.
6. Pass them out at Thanksgiving for those who have done kind deeds. This Thanksgiving, consider handing out a token to each family member at your next meal as you mention something kind that they did recently.
7. Give a token to someone who has helped you in the past. Write a letter and give it to that person along with the token. Never too late to say thank you.
8. Let it be a reminder to look for things to be grateful about. Keep it in your wallet, purse, your nightstand, or any place where you will see it often. Did someone open the door for you at the store? Did someone pick up something off the floor for you? Take a moment every night to think of a few things you are most grateful for that day.

Just like a muscle, the more frequently you exercise these gratitude muscles, you’ll start to become more easily aware of just how much goodness you are surrounded by.

What are other ways you’ve used your Gratitude Token?

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