Why it’s important to nurture empathy in kids?

Parents should consider teaching empathy and nurturing emotional intelligence in their children for several reasons. In its most basic form, empathy is the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes and comprehend their emotions and experiences. Empathy can also be useful in teaching children about bullying and how to avoid it. Thus, teaching empathy is an important factor in preventing bullying at school.

How can parents encourage emotional intelligence and empathy in their children?

• Make sure your child’s emotional needs are met – To be able to feel and express empathy for another person, a child’s emotional needs must first be satisfied. Before she can help someone else, she must be able to rely on her parents and caregivers for emotional support.

• Teach your child how to cope with negative emotions – Negative emotions like anger and jealousy are common in children and adults. A child with good emotional intelligence and empathy is more likely to be taught how to handle these feelings positively in a problem-solving manner by sympathetic parents.

• Ask, “How would you feel?” – When a pre-schooler smacks a sibling or a friend or takes away a toy they’re playing with, a parent should explain that such action might hurt a person. “How would you feel if someone took your toy away?” or “How would you feel if someone smacked you?” are some examples of questions to use.

• Name that feeling – Identify and categorize feelings and emotions as much as possible to assist your child in understanding them. If your child behaves kindly toward someone, you can say: “That was very good of you to be so worried about your friend; I’m sure it made him feel much better when you were so kind to him. If your child behaves unpleasantly, you can say: “I understand you may be angry, but it made your friend sad when you stole his toy from him.”

• Talk about positive and negative behaviours around you – In real life, as well as in books, television, and movies, we are always exposed to instances of good and bad behaviour. Discuss with your child any behaviour you notice, such as someone making another person upset or acting like a bully, or someone helping others and making them feel better about themselves.

• Set a good example – By watching you and other adults in their lives, your child learns how to interact with others. Show them what it is to be helpful or kind and loving. You can teach your child to be sympathetic by helping family members and neighbours and supporting friends and those in need or going through a difficult time.