Saying ‘thank you’ can be powerful — sometimes unexpectedly so. Gratitude can foster greater happiness, which can be particularly impactful in romantic contexts, offering what one study referred to as “a booster shot” for relationships.
Now a new study on gratitude looks at the power of a ‘thank you’ in a family context. Writing in The Journal of Positive Psychology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign team explores gratitude between both parents and children, finding that gratitude doesn’t just strengthen relationships between couples, but other family ties, too.