Gratitude can sound like another item on an already overloaded parenting checklist, particularly when the day has involved tantrums, homework battles or almost no sleep. However, research suggests the effects of gratitude in parenthood are more interesting than simply trying to “think positively”. Gratitude engages brain systems involved in reward, social connection and interpreting other people’s intentions, while studies involving parents have also found links with wellbeing and family functioning. The science is promising, although it is more nuanced than claiming that a gratitude journal can somehow remove parenting stress.
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