Last year on Black Friday, Americans spent $6.22 billion on online purchases, which is an increase of 23.6 percent from the year before. Two billion was spent from purchases made on smartphones alone. 

With consumerism at our fingertips during the holidays, no wonder it’s difficult to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in our kids. So, how do you do it? 

The key is in the name: thanks and giving.

If you want your children to learn a lesson in gratitude this Thanksgiving, teach them how to give thanks and teach them how to give.

Thanks—

Gratitude doesn’t come naturally to our kids. You might be laughing because you experience this with your child every day. This is why we have to teach our children to say thank you. They aren’t going to do it on their own. 

This isn’t your child’s fault. It’s simply how children develop. We are wired to be egocentric, especially when we’re young. To children, it feels like the world revolves around them. Their needs are what they think of, not others’, so they don’t think to be grateful for what they have.

A study done at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hillfound that gratitude…