Gratitude Journal For Kids Worksheet
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Worksheet published on May 8th, 2024
Children often struggle with mental health challenges like anxiety and depression, but these struggles can be confused with behavioral issues. Kids are learning how to express themselves and how to regulate their emotions during their childhood years, so it is important to consider their emotional needs when navigating behavioral challenges.
Gratitude exercises can be a helpful tool to incorporate in therapy for children. It aids in building a healthy mindset, boosting self-esteem, and strengthening emotional resilience. Gratitude exercises can also reinforce a sense of well-being that can have lasting benefits. It helps children appreciate the good things around them, leading to a more optimistic outlook on life.
About This Worksheet
Gratitude practices can be simple, and when performed routinely can have lasting benefits for kids. Gratitude practices can help with self-esteem building, coping with stress, and improving behavior. It can also help a child learn how to navigate uncomfortable experiences associated with anxiety and depression.
Practicing gratitude can be easy and can promote healthy thinking habits with repetition. The Gratitude Journal For Kids worksheet provides a weekly reflection journal that is easy to complete. It offers 3 daily reflection questions designed to boost gratitude. It is great to use with kids in therapy as a homework assignment to complete with parents.
Instructions
A parent is needed to complete this worksheet. Introduce the worksheet to the child and parent as a homework assignment. Explain how to complete the chart and provide the rationale for the exercise.
Explain to the parent that the worksheet intends to boost habits of gratitude in their child’s thinking patterns. Encourage the parent to allow the child to create their own responses, only offering help if needed. Instruct the parent and child to write their responses for each reflection question daily and to bring the chart for the next session. If more than 7 days will pass before the next appointment, you may provide extra copies of the worksheet.
