In this article, we want to give you some tips on how you can nurture empathy in your children while helping them overcome stumbling blocks they may face along the way.
Empathy Obstacles
One hurdle that youth face when developing empathy is that they can be generally self-focused. During adolescence, both boys and girls tend to focus more on themselves than the people around them. One of the best lessons that can help them learn empathy is by teaching them humility. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
Competitiveness can also be a stumbling block to developing empathy. One of the best ways to make sure competitiveness does not rule over empathy is by teaching youth to think about the experience of the those with whom they compete. For instance, asking your child to think about how the other competitor felt during a match. Learning to show deep kindness in response to every person’s innate dignity also increases empathy.
Exercises for Practicing Empathy
Ultimately, empathy is a learned skill. Practice is one of the best ways to build the empathy muscle in your children. Here are some exercises that you can use to practice empathy with your kids:
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Writing thank-you notes
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Holding family meetings to practice listening and discussion skills
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Asking your children questions about how the characters in stories with people who have different life experiences feel
If none of these exercises jump out at you, turn this opportunity into an empathy-building exercise where you can sit down with your kids and brainstorm different activities together.
If you’d like to learn and discuss more parenting tips, join Wellspring for our online parenting group from April 6 to June 22 and listen to our most recent podcast below.
Listen in as Tova Kreps, LCSW, talks with Kaara Kiddoe and Salima Harris about empathy in parenting.
