Raising a Child with Empathy

Empathy is the ability to emotionally connect with another person by understanding and sharing their feelings. It can be considered one of the most important characteristics of social behavior and is something that should be taught early on in childhood.

Let’s look at the importance of, and how we can teach our children, empathy.

Why Empathy Matters

The ability to reciprocate feeli.ngs is an important social and emotional skill, for people of all ages.

For parents, empathy can be a highly effective teaching tool. Having empathy can maintain an emotionally positive environment in the household that is conducive to child-development. Being empathetic with your children also helps them learn to love and trust you more deeply, allowing for better communication.

For children, practicing empathy can help them become more aware of their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Not only does this help children control their own emotions more effectively, it also assists in creating and maintaining healthy relationships.

Empathy in 3 Steps

Teach your children to follow these 3 steps to empathy by modeling it when interacting with them:

1. Recognize: Take a moment to recognize what your child is feeling. This initial emotional connection with your child shows them that you’re on their side, not against them.

2. Define: Find out where the emotion is coming from by starting a dialogue with your child. This will let your child know that you are ready to listen to their feelings and that you understand them.

3. Solve: Offer a solution with your child’s emotional well-being in mind. If something must be done to improve your child’s feeling, give suggestions and ask if your child would be willing to do them.

At this point your child will be more open to changing behavior if necessary, because you have established your intentions to help and understand them using empathy.

 Practicing at Home

Practice makes perfect when it comes to empathy. At home, it is important to lead by example. Be empathetic in any scenario that applies. If your child is excited, ask them why and decide if praise or celebration is in order. If your child is sad, be open to talking about it and offer solutions to make them feel better. It’s all about communicating with your child frequently.

Talking and listening to your child, and being empathetic with them, can greatly help their emotional and social growth. Following the three steps of practicing empathy, and teaching them to your child, can make a world of difference in the long run.

 

How Silverline Teaches Empathy

At Silverline Montessori, we understand that children open their minds towards academic development when they feel comfortable and respected. Our caring, trained teachers take the time to learn each child’s name and guide them individually towards growth. Our teachers lead by example and demonstrate empathy every day by how they interact with our students.