Most parents are caught up in the whirlwind of daily life — juggling work, household chores, and earning a living. This leaves very little time to focus on teaching their child the fundamentals of how to be social and to learn about what it takes to build relationships in the real world.
Raising compassionate and kind children is one of the most difficult but rewarding investments a parent can make. Imagine a world where your child grows up understanding and caring about others’ feelings, where empathy and compassion become second nature to her, and where her actions make the world a better place.
This is not some dream but an attainable reality when we decide to implement and work with time tested and proven strategies. Exploring practical ways and teaching creative empathy activities for children and cultivating kindness. But first, let’s understand what we mean when we say empathy.
“Before you criticize or judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes.” This timeless wisdom captures the essence of empathy. It is a crucial ingredient in forming positive friendships and relationships. Think about a time when you felt truly understood by someone. Empathy helps reduce misunderstandings and fosters helpful behaviour, which ultimately leads to greater success in life.
The good news is that empathy, like any other skill, can be taught and nurtured in children. When children begin to identify how they feel and label these feelings, they are better equipped to understand the emotions of others.
For children, learning about empathy is like discovering a new sense, in addition to the five senses they already possess. This sixth sense helps them navigate social interactions and share meaningful experiences.
You are your child’s best teacher.
The way you teach empathy creative activities for kids, especially in your everyday interactions, sets a powerful example for your child. Your actions speak louder than words. When she sees you treating others with kindness and empathy, she will emulate those behaviours when interacting with her peers.
By showing empathy in your everyday interactions, whether it’s listening attentively to your child or a friend; offering support to a colleague; comforting a family member; or showing gentleness in your dealings, you are teaching empathy creative activities for your child.
Share your feelings and perspectives openly, and encourage your child to do the same. Imagine you’re at the grocery store and notice an elderly couple struggling with their bags. By offering to help, you not only perform an act of kindness but also set a visible example for your child to emulate. Later on, reinforce this by discussing with your child why it is important to help and how it will make others feel better.
Whenever your child wants to interact with you, drop everything. Give her your full attention. Maintain eye contact, and actively listen. Do not interrupt her flow of thoughts, no matter how mixed up they might seem to you. This will show your child how important her thoughts and feelings are to you.
If your child comes home upset about a disagreement with a friend, listen carefully and acknowledge her feelings. Discuss how her friend might be feeling and brainstorm ways to resolve the situation amicably and quickly.
Incorporate small activities for kids into your daily interactions, this in itself can have an impact on your child. These gestures of kindness don’t have to be grand to be meaningful. For instance, you could encourage your child to do something kind for someone else each day. It could be as simple as holding the door open, sharing a toy, or writing a thank-you note.
Teaching creative empathy activities for children can help start a family tradition: call it “Kindness Saturdays“. Every Saturday, each family member chooses one small act of kindness to perform over the weekend. These routine acts of kindness will surprise you by turning into a habit. You, your husband and your child will eagerly look forward to it, planning your Saturday acts of kindness and then sharing your experiences over a meal.
Never forget to praise and reward your child when she displays empathetic behaviours. Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool, it encourages your child to continue displaying kind behaviours. To motivate your child, implement a simple reward system.
For instance, use a sticker chart where your child earns stickers for each act of kindness she performs. Once your child accumulates a certain number of stickers, give a special treat. Avoid giving money as a reward.
You can begin teaching empathy activities for your child by sharing stories about acts of kindness, whether from books, movies, or real life. Maintain a scrapbook of all acts of kindness done in your neighbourhood or your city. Discuss what was done and how it impacted others. This helps your child understand the broader implications of kindness in action.
Modelling empathy and kindness is one of the most effective ways to instil real values in your child. Lead by example, incorporating daily acts of kindness, and using positive reinforcement, create an environment where empathy and compassion become a norm. When you treat other people like they matter, your child too is more likely to do the same.
The activity of kindness
As a society, we often underestimate the power of kindness, particularly in shaping the lives of our children. We overlook the fact that by involving children in kindness activities we not only create and foster a positive environment but also cultivate important values that benefit children throughout their lives.
Kindness is a tangible expression of caring for others through helpful and considerate actions. When your child is involved in performing acts of kindness, she will experience a sense of joy and fulfillment, which in turn will reinforce her desire to continue being kind. [Source]
Just imagine, a working mom who encourages her daughter to perform small acts of kindness, like helping her classmate with homework or sharing her toys with her younger brother. Each act of kindness not only brightens someone else’s day but also boosts your child’s confidence and sense of purpose.
Such positive parenting techniques can range from teaching simple gestures like saying ‘thank you’, to more complex and involved activities such as volunteering at a local charity. The key is to make kindness a regular part of your child’s daily routine, so it becomes a habit.
Children who are taught and acquire these traits early on tend to experience better mental health, as helping others reduces feelings of isolation and increases the overall sense of well-being and happiness.
As your child grows older, these traits will help her build stronger friendships and a supportive social network. It does not stop there. The seeds of kindness she sows in her childhood will blossom into a garden of goodwill later on.
Teaching empathy activities for children is a long journey that requires patience, consistency, and creativity. As a busy, working mom, you might feel overwhelmed at times, but the rewards are worth the effort. Once your child begins to empathize with another person, it will mean that your child:
- understands that she is an independent person
- Understand that the feelings and thoughts others have will be different from her own.
- Begins to recognize that all people, regardless of age, experience happiness, joy anger, disappointment, sadness…
- She looks at situations and imagines how people might be feeling at that moment.
- Your child can imagine what response might be comforting in a given situation.
Do not frame feelings as a problem.
Teach your child to be curious about her feelings instead of being reactive to them. Do not frame feelings as a problem, but encourage your child to embrace them with a sense of curiosity.
Make this a part of positive parenting techniques that you will apply whenever you are faced with such situations.
Never punish a child for feeling sad or for being angry. Make it clear that all emotions are natural and learning to manage them healthily through discussion and reflection is the best way of dealing with them.
Being curious about your child’s feelings means she will work to understand them and make positive choices about how she will handle them. When you encourage your child to be curious and seek to understand her emotions you are creating opportunities for meaningful discussions to help create positive coping skills.
Developing emotional maturity early means your child will be better equipped to handle some of the hard lessons of life that she will encounter as she grows up. She will feel more stable and confident when she knows how to cope and resolve personal challenges even when you are not around to help. [Source]
Instilling emotional maturity in your child
When your child experiences something uncomfortable, it will often throw her off balance and make her lose control. The fact is, your child may not know how to deal with uncomfortable feelings. Help her understand that it is normal to feel angry or a little jealous because she sees you playing with her little brother. Make your child understand that “feeling jealous” is not the problem, but the negative reactions that will be triggered by those feelings will be.
Lest you forget, while it’s not difficult for your child to empathize with her immediate family and close friends, it can be a real challenge to understand and feel for people outside of that circle. Talk about how those ‘other’ people could be helped and comforted. Empathy, like other emotional skills, requires practice before it can become second nature. [ Source]
Help her cope by teaching her how to focus on her breath whenever she is likely to feel upset. Make her sit down and ask her to focus on her breathing, showing her how it is done. Let her see how you make a choice to deal with your feelings positively by applying the breathing technique.
Show your child how to take responsibility.
Apologies are normally viewed as a sign of weakness. But in modern times, authority or power is not compromised by taking responsibility. Instead, it seems to enhance power of responsibility for creative empathy activities for children. Being accountable seems to produce trust and respect.
When your child sees that adults in her life take responsibility or tell someone they are sorry when they are wrong, will feel relieved. The pressure a child might feel to be perfect will evaporate when she sees that even adults can mess up things.
More importantly, this is an effective way to get out of the ‘blame game’. Instead of pointing fingers at others during conflict or when things go wrong, it will be better to take responsibility and become more self-aware. Just imagine the kind of family we will have if everyone decides to handle all conflicts in this way!
How My Gym can be of help
We know balancing work and home life can be challenging, but we’re here to help! At My Gym, we understand the importance of keeping your little one engaged and learning, even while you’re at the office.
One great way we support your child’s development is through fun and interactive physical activities, both solo and in groups. This not only gives young children a chance to play and exercise but also fosters valuable social skills as they interact with their peers. They’ll learn mindful communication naturally, and learn how to nurture a relationship in the moment.
Our age-appropriate enrichment programs are designed to build resilience and help children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills from an early age. This sets them up for success in all areas of life, both now and in the future.
Interested in learning more? Swing by any of our My Gym centers at your convenience, with your little one in tow. Whether she is as young as 6 months or a bustling preschooler, there’s something here for every child. Let her learn and grow through observation and imitation — it’s never too early to start!
We can’t wait to welcome you and your child to the My Gym family. See you soon!
Please note: My Gym classrooms are thoroughly sanitized every day — the tables, the chairs, the children’s activity stations and everything else the child might touch is made safe and clean. Whenever required, children are encouraged to wear a mask, wash their hands frequently, and practice social distancing as well.
