So, how do you teach empathy to a child?

While empathy takes a certain amount of maturity to fully grasp and comprehend, there are lots of empathy activities for kids you can try both in the classroom and at home to help develop feelings of compassion in young children, but before we get to those, let’s take a closer look at empathy and what it means for our little ones.

Why is empathy important?

We’re all born with the capacity to be empathetic towards others, but our ability to develop a strong sense of empathy really boils down to how much practice we get, and since empathy plays a huge role in our ability (or inability) to form meaningful relationships with our peers, classmates, and co-workers, it’s a skill that can set us up for long-term success if taught correctly.

When do children learn empathy?

While research suggests that kids aren’t fully capable of ‘taking a walk in someone else’s shoes’ until they are about 7-years-old, a child’s experiences early in life are said to play a much bigger role in developing empathy than we think. When parents take the time to teach their kids simple emotions, model empathetic behavior, and provide positive reinforcement when their child shows compassion, they are helping to build the foundation needed to identify with the feelings of others.