Rebecca O’Donnell, a memoirist says that empathy is walking a mile in somebody else’s moccasins. Sympathy is being sorry their feet hurt.
Teaching empathy is one of the best gifts you can give your children.
Here are some simple things you can do with your children that will teach them how to have empathy for others.
Visit your Local Library
If your kids do not already have a library card sign them up for one. Take them to visit the library and borrow books that teach kindness and empathy. Ask the librarian for recommendations, they are there to help and may have some great suggestions. Reading with your child is bonding and can foster their love of reading as they grow.
Every Day Lessons
Use everyday moments as teaching opportunities, for example maybe you are at the park and you see a child not included in group play or a child being teased. Set an example and ask your child how that would make them feel if it was them. Then perhaps encourage your child to invite them to play.
You can point out different scenarios. Maybe you know someone who has recently lost a family member or is going through a difficult situation, talk to your kids about it, ask them how they would feel and what they might do to help the other person in some way.
Show compassion when they are upset. Talk to them about how they are feeling at that moment, let them know you understand and care.
Perform random acts of kindness, take flowers to an elderly neighbor, write thank you cards or just notes letting others know you care, hold the door for someone, do a chore for someone without them knowing, return a grocery cart at the store, help them clean out their closet and then donate the toys and clothes to a local charity, let someone go in front of you at the store, volunteer with your child at a local shelter, soup kitchen or food pantry, teach them to listen and not interrupt when someone else is speaking, recycle, talk to them about litter and teach them why it is important not to and maybe take a walk around your neighborhood and pick up litter. Each night at bedtime ask them to tell you about something they are grateful for. These are just a few suggestions, but it is the little everyday things you do that teach your kids how to be kind and empathetic.
Teach Diversity
We all have different physical features and personality traits. We can help our children appreciate diversity by example. We should all be accepting of others regardless of our differences. Talk about this with your kids and be open to any questions they have.
Volunteer Work
With so many opportunities and different ways to volunteer you should have no problem finding something that not only teaches kids the importance of volunteering but how rewarding it can be.
It can be something simple like helping a disabled or elderly neighbor with tasks around the house, shopping for them, giving them a ride to an appointment, inviting them to dinner or delivering a meal to them.
Most communities have food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other organizations that offer services to the disabled, homeless or others in need of help and many of those places need volunteers. Call around and see what you and your kids can do to help.
Call local nursing homes and retirement communities, many welcome volunteers and children can bring great joy to the elderly. Just a visit can make someone’s day. Many residents in these communities do not have any family or friends and when you call you can ask about the residents that maybe just need a visitor.
There are so many ways you and your kids can help, cleanup at a park, school or other location, participate in local walks and runs for charity, volunteer at the library or school, volunteer at a local animal shelter or Humane Society. Find what works for you and your family. It does not have to be something big, often it is the little things that matter the most.
Packages and Cards for Soldiers
Another great way to teach kids about community is by putting together care packages and sending cards and letters to those deployed in the military. The care packages can be simple and include items like toothpaste and toothbrush, soap, shampoo and deodorant, lotion and lip balm, socks, gloves, books, decks of cards and games, notebooks and pens, food, gum and mints. Anything that you think they can use. Children can also write cards, notes and color pictures for them.
Visit your Local Fire Department or Police Station
Most fire departments and police stations have visitation policies for the public, check with your local station and schedule a visit.
Teaching children to respect the public servants who protect us is important. Children should not be afraid of firemen and police officers, they are there to help us.
When you take them in for a visit, they can learn more about what each department does and it is fun and exciting for the kids to interact with the employees at the stations.
These are just some examples on how we can foster kindness in our children. Doing so benefits them and society as a whole.
The Tech Minimalist 