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12 Ways to Teach Kids How to Be More Grateful and Giving

It's never too early to teach your kids to be more selfless -- and we've got the tips to help you do it! (13 Photos)

Ylonda Caviness on Dec 17, 2012 at 1:08PM

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12 Ways to Teach Kids How to Be More Grateful and Giving

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Take Baby Steps

It's not just you. We all want our kids to be more grateful. But this material world is all about living large. Kids get the message from TV, pop music, even in the toy aisle. Here's the good news: Taming their "gimmies" -- and turning them into givers -- is easier than you think. Here's how.

Take Baby Steps

You've heard that old saw, "charity begins at home," right? What that really means is that kids learn how to be charitable when the adults in their lives are charitable toward them. "Children learn to be caring and concerned about others when they experience these things for themselves -- everyday," says Elizabeth Berger, MD, child psychiatrist and author of Raising Kids With Character. Instead of encouraging them to commit to time-consuming volunteer projects (or boring them with soapbox speeches), just focus on the regular -- but super-important -- stuff like validating your kids' feelings, spending quality time together and being an engaged listener.