It's in our social media feeds...our friends are thankful and sharing their gratitude with the world. We may even be participating in this on-line demonstration of gratefulness ourselves. Are we sharing our gratitude with our kids? As our social communities focus on Days of Thanks, here are 

Five Ways to Help Our Kids Express Gratitude

1. Write a Thank You note to a neighbor. Talk about the neighbors who have demonstrated acts of kindness or friendliness to your child and help him/her write a thank you note - by hand. 
2. Perform a random act of kindness. After talking about the things that people have done for your child, encourage him/her to share kindness to someone who may not expect it.
3. Leave a treat for the mail carrier/newspaper delivery person. Encourage your child to leave a note or help make a treat to leave in the mail/paper box for the delivery person to thank him/her for being a constant servant to the public.
4. Share a hot beverage. There are many people who work outside this time of year to keep our electricity on, ensure the Red Kettle Campaign is running, etc. Join with your child in thanking them for braving the elements to make our world more comfortable by gifting them a hot chocolate or warm coffee.
5. Thank a Teacher. Our teachers sacrifice time with their own families and work tirelessly to ensure that every child receives the best quality education possible. Talk with your child about what you can do to honor his/her teacher (November 17-21 is Teacher Appreciation Week...here are some ideas on how to participate: http://www.nea.org/grants/teacherday.html).