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Exploring the Impact of Gratitude Practice as a Protective Factor for Young Children

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of young children, and schools are being tasked with providing greater support for their emotional well-being. While gratitude practices have proven beneficial for the mental health of adults, less is known about the efficacy of their use in promoting positive character development with children. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of a three-fold gratitude intervention on a group of first grade students (N = 16). For 28 weeks, students used a gratitude journal, expressed gratitude to others through writing, and created a gratitude collage. Gratitude journal entries were coded for themes and pre-post intervention evaluations were administered. Results from a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test indicate the intervention had a significant impact on children’s gratitude and well-being. This study is based on the Relational Developmental Systems (RDS) Theory which emphasizes that human development is plastic, and that programs that promote character development can result in positive personal change. It builds on research that has shown that gratitude can be fostered through regular practice and can have a positive impact on mental health. The study has implications for educators looking to support children’s mental health and well-being in school by implementing a simple gratitude intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Anna H. Hall & Grace Bache-Wiig

  2. College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA

    Kelley M. White

Authors
  1. Anna H. Hall
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  2. Grace Bache-Wiig
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  3. Kelley M. White
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Grace Bache-Wiig.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethical Approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Clemson University.

Informed Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all participating teachers and from the parents of children in the classroom.

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Appendix A

Appendix A

Gratitude Collage Image. See Fig. 1

Fig. 1
figure 1

Image is of a gratitude collage made by a study participant. Collage includes magazine clippings and drawings of items the participant expressed gratitude for during the intervention. Student represented toys, pets, friends, food, and weather

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1.

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Hall, A.H., Bache-Wiig, G. & White, K.M. Exploring the Impact of Gratitude Practice as a Protective Factor for Young Children. Early Childhood Educ J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01623-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01623-3

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