If your anxious child is kicking, screaming or hitting everyone and everything in his path, perhaps a dose of gratitude may help. Gratitude has long gotten researchers’ nods for its ability to make anxious kids (and adults!) happier, calmer and more appreciative of their lives.
And now an article at PsychologyToday.com points to three studies that suggest grateful kids may be less violent, as well. Article author Jeffrey Froh looks at a trio of studies, all of which involved gratitude as a factor that made study subjects less likely to want to hit someone, less likely to feel hurt after a confrontation and less likely to seek retaliation on a perceived aggressor.
Gratitude lists are a happy, helpful tool for helping your anxious child see how many wonderful things surround her. Have her write down 10 things for which she is grateful today!
Read the article: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/making-grateful-kids/201301/grateful-kids-flourish-are-they-also-less-violent
