If You Love Your Child, You Must Teach Them to Be Grateful

If you know what gratitude is, there is an inner ability to extricate your self from your own world, which allows you to feel the hardship of others. It is easier to show empathy, and all...

If you know what gratitude is, there is an inner ability to extricate your self from your own world, which allows you to feel the hardship of others. It is easier to show empathy, and all inter-personal relationships improve.

A grateful person also tends to be happier and more contented.

A few years ago, a tragedy that happened in Shanghai Pudong Airport was broadcast on public television. A young man, 25 years old, known as Wang, had just returned from Japan after studying at a Japanese University for five years. His mother arrived at the airport to receive him, but was instead stabbed nine times — by her own son. She went into a coma and was in a critical condition.

For the past five years, Wang’s education was wholly funded by his mother, who had spent more than 1.5 million Japanese Yen in this pursuit.

Wang’s mother lived frugally. She sold her property and moved in with her in-laws in order to afford her son’s education. She borrowed money from many sources, and spent all of it on him, yet she still could not cover her son’s living expenses and meet all his requests — and so he began to hate her.

It is a natural instinct for parents to love their children. Many parents’ lives are centered around their children. Yet often, everything they have done for their children is merely taken for granted.

Why is it that parents have done so much for their offspring, but their children are still not grateful?

In fact, the answer is simple: Parents only care how to keep their children well-fed and warm, they only care about their children’s grades, but they forget to teach them the importance of showing gratitude.

To sons and daughters who are not grateful, in their eyes, their parents should sacrifice for them, and they will feel resentful if they think that their parents have not sacrificed enough.

A survey by the University of California, Davis, revealed that people who know how to be grateful have a much lower rate of depression and anxiety.

Those who do not know what gratitude is will eventually feel disappointed and be dissatisfied with life. Thus, it is important to teach children to love others and be grateful for all they do for them.

Translated by Chau BC.

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