Ronnie's Awesome List presents a guest article by Dr. Julie Hartman, Director at the Mindful Resource Center (MRC), Marin’s Pediatric Mental Health & Wellness Center supporting child and adolescent development and partnering with parents in raising our youngest up-and-coming humans.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 🍁

Gratitude is more than saying thank you...

The Positive Psychology movement has been one of the leading sources of research on happiness.

What do happy people have in common?

The ability to feel a sense of gratitude on a regular basis.

Whether it’s being thankful for...

👉 the hot tea that is warming your Wintery day

👉 being grateful that you finally found a parking spot after circling over 10 times at the over-packed mall

👉 feeling the abundance of having a roof over your head

👉 AWESOME community supporting our youth (that’s YOU we’re thankful for!)

... a sense of gratitude is a common source of happiness.

One way to increase this skill in children is to make it a part of their daily or weekly routine.

And like all skills, regular practice helps gratitude automate as their ‘go-to’ mindset.

WE RECOMMEND HAVING EACH PERSON IN THE FAMILY LIST 3 THINGS THAY ARE THANKFUL FOR IN THE MOMENT.

Some families choose to go around the table before/after dinner, or in addition to/instead of prayer.

Others make it part of the bedtime routine.

Whereas some parents use it as an activity in the car.

HERE’S A FREE 'CHEAT SHEET' TO FACILITATE THE GRATITUDE RITUAL WITH YOUR KIDS WHEREVER YOU ARE. 

Dr. Julie Hartman is the Director at the Mindful Resource Center (MRC), specialists in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with an attachment-based, mindfulness-oriented, developmentally-supportive approach. The Mindful Resource Center (MRC) is conveniently located at 21 Tamal Vista Blvd, Suite 162 in Corte Madera. For more information visit www.mindfulresourcecenter.com or contact us anytime at (415) 634-3500 or mindfulresourcecenter@gmail.com.