I think the best way to teach gratitude is first by example, and second by instruction. I always say please and thank you to people around me, and my kids have picked up on that. We talk about people that help us; we had a discussion the other night about leaving a tip at a restaurant and why we do that. My son thanks me when I do something he thinks is nice, even if it's just an ordinary thing. If my son says something hurtful, we talk about how it makes that person feel, and try to get him to think about how he would feel.

Parental involvement and instruction is so vital in every facet of a child's growth. I've seen parents talk horribly to their children, and I'll bet those kids will grow up to be like their parents. Trying to instill gratitude in others is tough, because you don't have the parental authority. I think in this case being a good example and being honest is the approach to take. Lead by example, and if the kid says something out of line, call him out on it. One of the best parenting approaches I've seen is to never yell at your child. Talk to them in a reasonable tone, and discuss the situation. Kids like it when you treat them with respect, especially when they don't get respect at home.

You teach them gratitude by thanking them for what they give to you. You teach them empathy by sitting and letting them know you understand their feelings. The younger or more distraught the kid the more you have to over emphasize the feelings. Then just hope they catch on. If not you have to sit and talk.

According to Parents magazine's article "Teaching Children to Be Grateful", it is difficult to teach such a mature feeling to very young children because they are self-centered by nature. However, if a parent starts teaching gratitude and empathy to their child at an early age, it becomes second nature to the child as they get older. At age 2, children begin to understand being thankful for tangible items like toys. Once they reach 4 years of age, they can understand gratitude for the intangible like kindness.

There are many ways that a parent can teach their child to be thankful for what they have and to appreciate people that help them in life. It begins with having a conversation with children about what gratitude means and why it is important. Then, it helps if parents show their kids charity live by having their children and themselves volunteer with an organization that helps those in need.

Numerous ungrateful kids get every material item that they want. Therefore, parents can instill gratitude in their children by not given them everything just because they ask. They can even try having their children perform chores which teaches them to appreciate hard work and the value of money as well.

Finally, parents can make a habit of teaching and using good manners. They can demonstrate how to send thank you cards and say ''please'' and ''thank you''. Respectful kids are often most likely to be grateful kids.

These sorts of lessons must begin at home. A non-parent usually needs to enlist the help of a parent to deal with an ungrateful child. However, a non-parent can have an open conversation about being thankful with the child as well. Depending on the situation, the non-parent can have the child help another child or person in need. This act lets the child see for himself how it feels to actually help another human being.