Sometimes the smallest gestures can leave the biggest impact. That’s exactly what happened recently with the Singapore Police when a ‘Thank You’ note from a little girl was enough to move the department.
Little Girl Shares ‘Thank You’ Note With Police Officers
Image Source: Singapore Police Force
In a post shared by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Facebook, the department wrote, “On 11 August 2021, when SC/Sgt Edyran and two of his fellow colleagues were patrolling at Little India MRT station, they didn’t expect to be stopped by a little girl.”
“Wondering if she needed any help, the officers were caught by surprise when the girl handed over a handwritten note to express her gratitude towards the officers,” they added.
The post further read, “Every day, our TransCom officers who are mostly serving their National Service, patrol tirelessly to protect the public land transport system against crime. These heartwarming gestures and moments inspire us in our pursuit to keep Singapore safe and secure.”
The police department posted a picture of the handwritten note with the TransCom officers and it had the Internet in awe.
The heartwarming gesture is certainly huge, especially since the little one’s gesture reminds us of the power of gratitude.
Singapore Netizens Loved The Sweet Gesture
The netizens found the gesture extremely humbling.
One user wrote, “Aww that’s cute. It’s pretty rewarding to see kids excitedly to see policeman on duty.”
Another Facebook user commented, “So sweet of the little girl! It must be the happiest and touching day for the police officers. Thank n salute our SPF!”
5 Ways To Get Kids To Express Gratitude
Image Source: Pexels
The first step towards learning and showing gratitude is to teach children the five magic words – please, sorry, excuse me, may I, and thank you. This usually builds the foundation for your child who will learn to be humble and appreciate the little things in life.
It also gives kids the opportunity to appreciate those around them that contribute to their success. It’s easier to get swayed by the privilege that parents can provide but it’s difficult to keep children grounded. Gratitude helps you do exactly that.
Here are five creative ways you can teach kids to express gratitude.
1. Give gratitude before every meal
While this may seem like a religious connotation, it’s actually not. In fact, several religions have the concept of saying grace before or after every meal.
If you aren’t too religious, you can always make this a habit at home to show gratitude.
Most kids learn about gratitude from the dining table. To respect the food they eat and to not waste it is a form of showing gratitude. Something that they need to practice outside the home as well.
As a principle, get children to thank the parent who cooked the food or the maid at the end of every meal as a way to show their appreciation.
2. Have a ‘Lucky Me’ jar
There are many ways to show gratitude and here’s a fun way to keep a track of the things you are thankful for. Have the kids make a ‘lucky me’ jar at home.
It can be a large jar that they can decorate. Everyone in the house can then write things that they are thankful for every day and add them to the jar.
Slowly and surely, the jar will fill up with all the things that make you happy and you can read them occasionally or whenever you need a lift in life.
3. The ‘Thank You’ card
While making a greeting card on someone’s birthday is common, encourage children to design a thank you card whenever they need to say it to someone.
If the grandparents got them a new toy or gift, kids can thank them with a handmade thank you card.
That gesture certainly has a more lasting impact than picking up one from the store. It’s maybe a small effort but the rewards are immense.
Image Source: Pexels
4. Redeeming coupons
Here’s a fun way to cash in on your contributions at home. You can as a family design a bunch of coupons that can be redeemed whenever they need the family to be there.
Maybe your child wants to speak to you about something and they use a coupon to block your time. Or the siblings want to step out and play and redeem a coupon for the same.
It’s a fun way to keep a check on the things they need to be thankful for.
5. Keep a journal
One of the simplest and most personal ways kids can show gratitude is by writing it. Not every child would want to verbalise their appreciation for something.
Instead, they can write it down in a journal that serves as a visual reminder about the things they should be appreciative of.
Encourage your child to pen down about things they are thankful about each day and also about things that could’ve turned for the better.
Of course, this is an extremely personal space, so parents, do not peek into your child’s journal. Let this be their personal space more than anything else. A collection of their thoughts for self-reflection.
Lead & Featured image: SPF/ Facebook
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