Thanksgiving is long gone, but expressing gratitude for the great things in your life is important to do year-round. In fact, research suggests the more gratitude you express, the more things you’ll have for which to be grateful.

In a recent study, hundreds of sixth and seventh graders were asked to write down, every day for two weeks, five things for which they were thankful. Three weeks later, researchers found these kids had higher grades and reported being more satisfied with their lives than kids who weren’t asked to give thanks every day. Another study in 2010 found that teens who expressed gratitude more had higher GPAs and lower instances of depression.

Materialism, meanwhile, had the opposite effect. Kids and teens who were preoccupied with what they wanted, as opposed to being grateful for what they had, tended to be less positive and more prone to depression.

Experts say it’s important for the adults in kids’ lives to show the sort of gratitude they wish to see. Children learn from watching adults express thankfulness.

“The old adage that virtues are caught, not taught, applies here,” says University of California, Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons. “It’s not what parents want to hear, but you cannot give your kids something that you yourselves do not have.” (Wall Street Journal)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife Wendy and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.