Empathy is an important skill to have, and it’s one that doesn’t always come to us naturally. Children especially struggle with not only seeing the world from another’s perspective, but also acting in ways that show they care. Fortunately, there are ways you can help. Here are tips for helping children in different age groups develop empathy:
Elementary-Aged Children
The best thing you can do to help your younger child become more empathetic is to model the behavior. Show them what empathy can look like and how they can use it in their own lives. Demonstrate kindness and understanding in daily interactions with your child. Talk about how you considered the other person’s perspective and feelings before taking action.
Point out examples in media, after watching a movie or reading a book together. Seeing empathy and its impacts in various situations will help your child understand how important it is. When your child demonstrates empathy, recognize it by praising them and letting them know what they did right.
Pre-Teens
While young children have a rudimentary understanding of feelings, pre-teens might be ready to have deeper conversations about them. Now is a good time to start talking about the more complicated emotions they find themselves feeling and how to navigate them. Watch age-appropriate movies or news together and analyze characters’ motives and feelings. Talk about how they relate to real-life situations.
This is a good time to talk about bullying, too, and how your child can stand up for others. Another way to help your pre-teen become more empathetic is through age-appropriate volunteer opportunities. After the volunteering experience, ask how they feel, and talk about how their actions have impacted others.
Teens
The teenage years build the foundation for self-discovery and identity, so they are crucial for conversations about empathy. When your teen expresses distress about someone else’s behavior, challenge them to consider the other person’s side. Help them navigate situations where empathy and peer pressure conflict, like when a peer they don’t like is being bullied. Discuss personal values and how empathy fits into their identity.
Teens are beginning to gain the ability to form their own communities. Encourage them to advocate for causes they care about through volunteering and activism, as well as participating in diverse groups where they can meet people from different backgrounds. Maintain an open dialogue with them about their experiences, being vulnerable in expressing how you have struggled with the same things. It’s not always easy to be empathetic—tell them that you understand and that it’s normal when you see them having trouble.
At North Tampa Christian Academy, we hope to help children and teens become the best versions of themselves. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.