Gift-giving is stressful at the best of times, but if you have children who wear their feelings on their sleeve, it can be a whole other minefield to navigate. If you’re frequently put off or embarrassed by children being less than polite when receiving gifts, try one or more of these tips to encourage gratitude.
Thoughts Count
Remind your child that even if they did not particularly like what they’ve been given, it’s the thought that counts. The person who bought or made the gift for your child cares about them enough to give them something special during the holidays. That’s most definitely worth gratitude.
Early Pep-Talk
Talk to your child before gift-giving occurs so that you can tell them what kind of behavior you expect them to present. Let them know that if they don’t like what they’ve been given, they can talk to you about it later in private. If it’s something that can be returned or exchanged, tell them that you’ll work it out with them at another date.
Practice Gratitude
Teach your child to be grateful in general, whether it involves the little things in life or something extravagant. Practicing gratitude from day to day will help your child display feelings of appreciation and adopt grateful behaviors during any event in their lives. This way, whether they receive something they love or something they’re not fond of, they’ll still have the good grace to say thank you.
Consider Others’ Feelings
One of the most important things for your child to consider when learning to express gratitude is the way other people feel. Nobody likes feeling embarrassed that their well-intentioned gift was poorly received. Being rude and ungrateful when receiving gifts doesn’t serve much of a purpose in the moment. It’s more reasonable and effective to privately exchange the item later. This way, your child can get something they actually like and no one’s feelings have to be hurt.
Kids can be brutally honest and a lot of the time, they don’t realize that their words or reactions can be hurtful. After all, children are always told that honesty is the best policy, and kids tend to think in absolutes instead of considering the situational context. If you explain how to receive gifts with grace, your child will likely adopt these polite behaviors without much argument.
