It can be difficult to teach empathy. Many of the adults I know don’t have it down yet – I know I am not the most empathetic person on the block. So when it comes to teaching your preschooler how to be understanding and empathetic, it’s good to have some practical applications. What can you and your preschooler do together to learn to be grateful and empathetic?
• Pause and give thanks. Every evening we have a prayer before we eat, even though we are not a religious family. This gives us the opportunity to be conscious of the food we eat.
• Make connections and build community. The more I am in community, the more thankful I become for the people that I know. We’re members of a farm co-op, a cooperative preschool, and a church congregation. Being a part of a community with your preschooler breeds thankfulness and empathy.
• Get to know many different people. We like to take the bus. It gives us a view of the world that is quite different than the one we’d get if we were in our car, because we get to interact with all sorts of people. We also get together with my daughter’s great-grandparents and with our extended family. Meeting different people teaches my daughter to accept all of them into her view of the world.
• Help people and animals. We donate to other people’s businesses through KIVA, and my daughter has her own account. We make a Christmas hamper every year for a family with a child my daughter’s age. We have pets that we adopted out of rescue. When people are sick and sad, we make them food. My daughter and I help people and animals together.
What do you do to breed empathy, understanding, and thankfulness in your child?