Learning empathy
Charlotte decided to help her friend Wilbur, knowing that Wilbur is scared and worried. Empathy is a key ingredient in developing friendships and positive relationships in life. It is an ability to be aware of these feelings of others and the ability to imagine what it feels like to be in their shoes’. It is important to teach kids about empathy from an early age to help develop a growth mindset, resilience and understand managing conflicts. It should be encouraged to observe others’ emotions because there are many ways how people feel and show their emotions. The key is to help kids stay attuned and inspire the right intentions.
Here are some conversations to have with the children about learning empathy.
Learn to describe your own feelings and emotions. Look at activities, It is okay to feel your feelings and How I feel under the blog post, We learned about feelings.
Observe your friends and pay attention.
Check in on your friends. Remember there are many ways to show our emotions.
When you check in on your friends, sometimes you may not know what to do or say but that is okay. You can try listening and just being there for your friend.
Talk to an adult.
