- Empathetic people are more likely to raise empathetic children, so be sure to model empathy yourself when interacting with you child. Talk about your own feelings and why they matter, and demonstrate empathy for your child's feelings.
2. Name Emotions
- Help your child to build their emotional vocabulary by discussing emotions with them. When they express a feeling, encourage them to name it and to think about when they felt that way before.
3. Role-Playing
- Role-playing can help a child to see things from another person's perspective. Act out different scenarios where your child has to take the role of another person and explain why the person feels the way they do.
4. Help Them Practice Self-Awareness
- Encourage your child to reflect on their feelings and thoughts. Help them to understand their emotions and how they affect their behaviour. The more they understand themselves, the better they can empathise with others.
5. Encourage Them to Listen
- Empathy requires active listening, so teach your child to truly hear and understand what someone else is saying. Encourage them to make eye contact, show interested and let the person know that their feelings are understood.
6. Help Them to Understand the World
- The more your child knows about the world around them, the better equipped they will be to understand and empathise with others. Discuss current events and people's experiences, and help them to see things from different perspectives.
7. Encourage Them to Show Kindness
- Kindness can be a bridge to empathy. Encourage your child to show kindness and compassion to those around them, whether it is helping out a classmate or volunteering in their community.
8. Celebrate Their Successes
- It's important to celebrate the moments when your child shows empathy, even if it's just a small gesture. This will give them a sense of pride in their compassionate actions and help them to incorporate them into their lives.