“Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.” - W.E.B. Du Bois
Key Concepts:
- Empathy is the ability to feel with another human. It's an essential life skill that is not automatic for children.
- Research shows that we need empathy to be both happy and successful in relationships, school, and work.
- Research shows that children who show high levels of empathy show more classroom engagement, higher academic achievement, better communication skills and improved perspective taking.
- Empathy can reduce some negative behaviors like aggression, racism and bullying.
What to Try:
- Practice emotional literacy. Talk about how you can (or can’t) tell the tone, mood, or intention of someone else via text or email! Does their teacher seem mad? Their friend jealous? This builds perspective taking skills that are essential to the development of empathy.
- Have explicit conversations about how you expect your child to act. For example, “In our
- family, we tell the truth. I rather you be honest and tell me what actually happened, then bend the truth to make me happy.” This promotes a strong moral identity and character.
- Shift “me” to “we.” Being kind involves noticing other people (so you can see how they’re feeling), caring for other people (expressing that in words), empathizing (letting them know you feel for them), and finally comforting them (letting them know you can help in a certain way).
- Provide your child with opportunities to improve the world we live in. Going to the beach and picking up trash, going to a senior home to deliver holiday cards, getting rid of toys/clothes they no longer need and donating to a child who does need them.
- Encourage your child to be an upstander, not a bystander. Talk about their role in caring for and defending others around them.