As usual, Mister Rogers said it best: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’"
When we look around our world now—more than ever—we see how essential workers and community helpers, as well as the friends, family, and neighbors who care for us, are the backbone of everything we do. That’s why now—more than ever—it’s imperative that we show our gratitude for their resiliency, dedication, and hard work.
But gratitude is about so much more than just saying “thank you,” especially for our littles.
From the hand-drawn “thank you” signs placed in your windows to the message sent with a donated meal, every time we include our children in our expressions of gratitude, they learn some powerful things, such as:
A deeper sense of empathy
The importance of self-expression
Strategies to vocalize how they feel about their worlds
Ways to verbalize the ways they care about others
The power of civic engagement
The deep impact of both giving and receiving gratitude
That’s why we’re encouraging all parents and caregivers to partner with the littles in their lives to express gratitude.
Whether it’s for an aunt or the next-door neighbor, parent, or community helper—take time to create a thank you card or sign for healthcare providers, mail carriers, grocery store employees, or anyone else deserving of gratitude, inside or outside of your household. Your kids will work on their literacy and creative skills, plus you’ll be teaching them the power of gratitude.
We’ll be spotlighting these thank you messages on our website, Instagram, and Facebook.
Create your thank you message, post it on social media, tag @chicagochildrensmuseum, and include the hashtag #GrowingGratitude.
Because that’s what we’ll be doing—growing gratitude in our little ones, in ourselves, and in the world around us.