RE: Musing Posts

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Musing Posts

in musing-threads •  6 years ago 

How to train developing the ability to empathize with children?

Empathy is a complex affective and cognitive response to other people's emotional distress. Empathy includes the ability to feel the emotional state of others, feel sympathetic and try to solve problems, and take the perspective of others.

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I think your question is on how to develop empathy in children.

Parents are key in a child development. They are who the child sees every day and try to imitate. The child tries to copy what the parents do. This with teaching the child what empathy is all about helps develop the child well.

Let the child know what empathy is all about. Relate it with what the child can see. Pictures get stucked in the memory than any other thing.

When the child is moody or going through some pains the parent should show empathy. The child will learn from that and learn to be sympathetic with others.

Incentivising the child for empathetic behaviour. The child will be eager to do the same again. Children loves gift and will continue doing the same actions that gave them the first gift.

1. Parents give an example of empathy for children

Parents are the first place children learn everything, because it's when parents are rude or don't think about other people's feelings, children tend to imitate them.

Therefore, in order to instill a good attitude in children, parents must set a good example. Show attitude to care for others, or even discuss these concerns with children, so that he can be actively involved, not just being a passive observer of your behavior.

2. Thank you

Simple teaching to thank someone when given something, can also educate children to be empathetic. He will be grateful for every little thing he receives from others.

Besides being polite, saying thank you can also make other people feel valued. Embed this thing on the child from an early age, so that he knows the importance of thanking for everything he receives in this world.

3. Be a consistent parent

As Parents, we always say what is good and not good for children. But often we forget, that children also see our behavior as a benchmark for what is good and not good.

If you teach your child to weigh every word so as not to offend others, of course as a parent you must also give that example. So that the child does not become confused when he sees his parents do not apply the attitude taught to him.

4. Helping Children understand emotional vocabulary

Small children do not have a lot of vocabulary on what they feel, help your child to name the various emotions he has, to make it easier for children to understand their own feelings. The child certainly does not have the opportunity to develop feelings of empathy when he himself is confused with his own feelings. Help from parents will certainly help the child overcome this problem.

5. Always be grateful and praise the work of others

Teach children to always praise the work of others, and be grateful every day. For example, praising mother's food during meals, praising the father who came home from work on time to be able to eat together. Apply the Schedule for the time to praise this. And let the child think for himself what he wants to be grateful for and who he wants to praise. This will make children think for themselves.

6. Recognize Goodness

When a child does good, it's good to praise him and say that it's a good thing. Like when a child helps pick up a friend's fallen book,

or share toys and food while gathering with friends. This will make the child think that what he is doing is good and approved by parents.

In my case I know very well that you are asking because I have an autistic daughter and as you know they do not have empathy like the rest of the children and has been a job since the two years we learned of his autism until now that he has nine and we continue in that fight, I will give you some advice that I think are of vital importance.

Empathy is a word that has several meanings and applications, among those meanings is that it is the ability to put oneself in the place of other people, share the pain or simply feel sadness for the people who suffer around. This element allows children when they become adults to take care of other people or worry about them.

I will list them but they are not in any specific order.

Reading family stories or dramatizing makes children learn to put themselves in the place of others. These stories and dramatizations must be selected by the parents so that they have adequate messages.

To encourage empathy in children it is important to watch family programs and then ask the children, who believe the characters feel when going through these situations, this makes the children familiar with the feelings of others.

The example of the parents is indispensable, this can be achieved by running errands to neighbors when they are sick or seeking the good of others at different times. Children must see these behaviors so that they also adopt them.

To develop empathy in children is appropriate to show examples of the feelings of others. An example when someone dies is telling the child, they feel as sad as when your pet died.

Many times parents scold children for expressing different feelings, this is inappropriate, because on the contrary parents must teach children to recognize their feelings and those of others.

There are decisions that parents must make independently, but there are also others that can be consulted with children, so that they feel that their opinion is important and also to take into account others.

Empathy in children can be encouraged by talking with children about the influence of their own behaviour on others, if they have much better everyday examples, so that children understand.

Parents often avoid crying in front of children, this is not appropriate, as this is a good way to show children that they should not be ashamed of what they feel and that it is normal to express sadness, when it is very strong.

Parents should ask children how they feel, because if they feel that their feelings and emotions are important, they will worry about the feelings of others. This not only builds empathy in children, but also strengthens family bonds.

Show children that their behavior affects others negatively or positively.