Gratitude journal for kids

Three good things from the day, drawn or written. Small things count: a puddle, a cookie, a friend who waited for them. Little ones draw and a grown-up writes their words; older children can add a because, which is where they start to think about who made the good thing happen.

From about 3, if it's a drawing and a grown-up writes the words. Around 5 or 6 many children like adding one word of their own, and by 7 or 8 they can write a sentence with a because. Toddlers can join in by pointing at a picture you draw together.

Two minutes is plenty. Ask "What were three good things today?" at bedtime, let them draw while you talk, and stop while it's still fun. A short page every few days beats a long page that becomes a chore.

We see them as family rituals and a way to talk, not a cure. Research with children ages 4 to 8 is thin, and a daily list on its own has not been shown to make young children happier. What researchers do find is that parents who talk about gratitude and show it tend to have more grateful children. So the talking matters more than the jar.

Believe them first. A hard day is a hard day, so name it and let it be. Then make the question smaller: "Was there one okay minute? What did you eat? Who did you sit with?" Some nights the page stays empty, and that's fine. The journal will still be there tomorrow.

No. The journal is drawn in your browser, on your computer, phone or tablet. The name and the start date are not sent to us or to anyone else, not put in the page's address and not saved: close the page and they are gone. When you press Print, we count that a journal was printed and which kind, never the name.