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Page 26             November  2017                                 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper                        www.TheCatoctinBanner.com                       Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com

                               Catoctin



                                                                                       effort to say thank you and being
                                                                                       openly and enthusiastically thankful   spreads outwards to our friends’
                                                                                                                             friends’ friends—to 3-degrees of
                                                                                       to others for opening a door,         separation. Just as a pebble creates
                      K IDs For kids and parents alike                                 making a meal, or helping out, we     waves when it is dropped in a pond,
                                                                                       demonstrate gratitude.                so acts of kindness ripple outwards,
                 by Anita DiGregory                                                                                          touching others’ lives and inspiring
                                                                                       Put it in Writing.  Help your child   kindness everywhere the wave
                                                                                       write a thank you note to someone
                                                                                                                             goes.”
            Thanks & Giving                                                            who has helped them, perhaps a        suggest that being kind is actually
                                                                                                                                Additionally, scientific studies
                                                                                       teacher, coach, bus driver, or school
                                                                                       crossing guard. Help them hand        highly beneficial for us. A study
                                                                                       deliver their special note.           conducted at Emory University
               Thanksgiving is nearly upon us.    individuals were more apt to                                               found that when a person is kind
            I love Thanksgiving—the faith-        exercise, practice healthy living, and   Make it Fun. Children learn       to another, the giver’s pleasure
            based tradition, the family-time,     experience healthier sleep patterns.    more when their lessons are real   and reward center of the brain is
            the fun, the food, and the feasting.    Thankful participants were less    and entertaining. Try doing an        stimulated to that of the receiver.
            Quietly nestled between the sugar     lonely, demonstrated better social   ongoing gratitude activity. Last year,   This increase in pleasure is known
            overload of Halloween and the         interactions, and displayed more     during the month of November, I       as the “helper’s high.” Other studies
            incessant over-commercialization of   signs of being forgiving, outgoing,   constructed a gratitude tree with my   have found that acts of kindness
            Christmas (I honestly think some      helpful, compassionate, and          two youngest children. We designed    increase energy, happiness, lifespan,
            retailers had Christmas decorations   generous.                            the trunk out of construction paper   and serotonin, and also decrease
            displayed in September this year!),     Instilling a strong sense of       and taped it to a prominent wall in   pain, stress, anxiety, blood pressure,
            Thanksgiving has remained a           gratitude in our children is a       our home. Each day, they wrote on     and depression in the giver.
            humble holiday, steeped in tradition   necessary and powerful tool in      colored, construction paper leaves       Here are some things we can do
            and rich in meaning. Even in a        equipping them to become happy,      one thing for which they were         with our children that may help
            time when patriotism has somehow      healthy adults. According to Raising   thankful. By Thanksgiving, we had   nurture a spirit of kindness in them:
            become controversial, Thanksgiving    Happiness author Christine Carter,   a wonderful, colorful display of      model kindness; smile; spend time
            continues to bring people together    Ph.D., grateful children may grow    their gratitude for all to enjoy.     with an elderly relative or neighbor;
            and unite them around tables          into happier grown-ups. Carter,                                            donate gently used toys, books, or
            across the country. Although the      director of the Greater Good         Make Gratitude a Habit. Help          clothes; visit a nursing home; help a
            holiday only happens once a year,     Parents program at the University    your children to be thankful each     friend in need.
            teaching, modeling, and reinforcing   of California at Berkeley, states,   day. Help them design a gratitude        According to Sonja Lyubomirsky,
            the ideas of “thanks” and “giving,”   “Pioneering social scientists think   journal, where they can draw or      PhD., author of The Myths of
            has scientifically been proven to     that 40 percent of our happiness     write about what they are thankful    Happiness: What Should Make
            help both adults and children to be   comes from intentional, chosen       for that day. Incorporate giving      You Happy, But Doesn’t, What
            happier and healthier.                activities throughout the day.       thanks into nighttime prayers, when   Shouldn’t Make You Happy, But
               Dr. Robert Emmons from             Thankfulness is not a fixed trait. It’s   each child can think back on the day   Does, states that almost any type of
            the University of California has      a skill that can be cultivated, like   and list those things for which he or   act of kindness will boost happiness
            conducted numerous scientific         kicking a soccer ball or speaking    she is grateful.                      in the giver. Quoting one of her
            studies on gratitude. The findings    French.” Therefore, consistently                                           study’s findings, she adds, “when 9
            reported from experiencing and        teaching and encouraging our            Thankfulness goes hand-in-         to 11-year old kids were asked to do
            demonstrating gratitude included      children to be grateful is vital. Here   hand with giving. Thanksgiving.    acts of kindness for several weeks,
            many psychological, physical, and     are some ideas for helping children   By teaching our children to give     not only did they get happier over
            social benefits. Researchers found    to grow in gratitude.                of themselves—to give their time,     time, but they became more popular
            that gratitude resulted in feelings of                                     talent, and treasure, one small act   with their peers.”
            alertness and wakefulness and higher   Lead by Example. Children are       at a time—we empower them to             As parents, we are greatly
            levels of joy, pleasure, optimism,    great imitators, and little eyes are   make a difference in a world that   helping our children, ourselves,
            and other positive emotions. Benefits   always watching. As parents, we    could use a lot of work. With small   and the world by instilling in them
            also included improved immune         can send a powerful message to       acts of kindness, we can change       a sense of gratitude and a genuine
            systems and blood pressure and        our children by modeling grateful    not only ourselves for the better,    desire to be kind to others...true
            decreased aches and pains. Grateful   behavior. By taking the time and     but the world as well. Ralph Waldo    thanksgiving.
                                                                                       Emerson stated, “You cannot do a
                                                                                       kindness too soon, for you never
                                                                                       know how soon it will be too late.”
                                                                                       There is no better place or time then
                                                                                       right here and right now to make a
                                                                                       difference.
                                                                                          According to studies, kindness
                                                                                       is actually contagious. David R.
                                                                                       Hamilton, PhD., author of The Five
                                                                                       Side Effects of Kindness, states,
                                                                                       “When we’re kind, we inspire others
                                                                                       to be kind, and studies show that it
                                                                                       actually creates a ripple effect that

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