TEACHING EMPATHY TO CHILDREN

Empathy is the ability to recognize, feel and respond to the needs and sufferings of other people. It is the ability to show compassion and understand another person’s experiences. It has become the need of hour to teach empathy to children from the very beginning, in their initial stage of growing up. As the children grow, they not only gain the ability to take in others’ perspective but also acquire the capacity to respond. The ability to show empathy is a life skill and can be taught at any age. In other words, it can be taught or developed over time and it will give the children a foundation on which they can develop healthy relationships throughout their lives. When people criticize or judge someone they should ‘walk a mile in their shoes’. This quote is all about empathy. Empathy is the key ingredient in their friendship and relationships. It reduces conflicts and misunderstandings. 

When it comes to empathy, small acts can bring big changes and these acts help children develop social-emotional skills. Since the objective is to promote the positive character of the children, they should be encouraged to get involved in the act of kindness. This may be during the incident or after the incident but the children should be involved in the conversation about another person’s experience to inculcate empathy. Some sensitive questions may be asked to promote goodness and positive emotions in them. They should be engaged in meaningful discussions. Let them be a part of cooperative and constructive games and encourage the children to choose volunteer work. Current events and situations can be discussed to stimulate their feelings and emotions. This centers around a specific topic that focuses on making the link between self and others in a positive way.