How Parents Teach Empathy to Kids
With transcript and captions, this video about empathy shares 5 questions to help your children develop a growth mindset.
Tell your children, “It’s hard to feel empathy when you’re judging with a critical mind.” Ask them to switch their critical thoughts to brainstorming positive reasons why the other child acts poorly. Why? Because when people act poorly, they do so to get something positive from their behavior.
If your children look for the positive intent in another’s behavior, their empathy just might follow.
Transcript:
How Parents Teach Empathy to Kids
Empathy is easy to teach your children when you listen to what your kids say about their classmates.
“I don’t like Sammy. He’s a bragger. He says, “I have 153 video games.” Nobody believes Sammy or likes him.”
To help your kids understand why Sammy brags, teach them to think BEYOND Sammy’s bragging.
Ask them, "What’s a positive reason why Sammy might brag?
“Sammy wants to be liked,” or
“Sammy wants attention,” or
“Sammy doesn’t know how to make friends.”
Now ask these 5 questions
1. Can we know for sure why someone acts poorly? Why?
2. What’s wrong with judging people?
3. Why is understanding a person’s reasons better?
4. How is trying to understand a sign of empathy?
5. What could you say to Sammy to help him stop bragging?
Next time your kids complain about a child’s behavior, ask them the 5 questions.
You’ll be teaching empathy with examples from their own lives.
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