Schools are not teaching empathy to kids

Reading time: 4 min 70 sec

Hey 👋 - Hope you are doing great?

I didn't have a great week.

I was playing with Adi and his friends,

and almost broke my leg.

Thankfully nothing major.

Just swollen knee and advised rest for a week.

I have been slow in my work the last couple of days.

Adi has been a great support.

He was upset after I fell.

He took care of me very well,

He made sure I took medicines at the right time,

He helped me walk.

This experience was very emotional for me,

I wondered how kids learn empathy.

And most of the research I did,

I found children learn empathy from us and from experiencing our empathy for them.

So, I found 10 ways to encourage empathy in kids.

1. Taking a genuine interest in their lives:

Discuss their daily activities, kids will understand that they matter.

2. Make it a priority to help others:

Somebody older at home might need some support, model this behavior by helping others at home.

3. Extending help outside the family:

A simple task like keeping water for birds in summer.

4. Helping them understand others' perspectives:

When kids are angry with their friend's we must give them their friend's perspective to help them see the argument from the other side (wait till they are calmer)

5. Talk about your emotions: 

Discussing your own emotions can be a great way to teach kids about empathy.

6. How we respect our kids and their personalities:

Children are individuals, they need space and respect, not just advice. Respect them for the choices they make.

7. How we tune into our inner self:

It's important to listen to our emotional needs, kids should know that their parents need space to prioritize their wellness.

8. Avoid Judging others:

Don't be quick to pass judgments on others, kids tend to learn that.

9. Resolve conflicts Together:

Help kids find ways to resolve a conflict by discussing it in detail at home or outside.

10. Love your kids unconditionally: This always works.Best advice ever!!

If your kids are finding it difficult to practice empathy,

you should know that it can be developed over time.

Here are some affirmations to practice with your kid.

• I can always see things from other people's perspectives

• I like to help others

• I care about the way other people think

• I am a caring person and it shows

• I have empathy for others even those I disagree with

Repeating these affirmations each morning will help your child feel empathetic towards others.

Since we are talking about Empathy this week, Let me introduce you to Mr. Rakesh Khatri.

A man from New Delhi has built more than 2.5 lakh bird nests in his life to save and protect birds in the national capital.

He teaches people to create nests and has experience of teaching more than lakhs of students till now.

I happened to contact him when I was organizing a workshop for kids in a school that I used to work with.

See his work here and help kids make a nest with the help of this video.

I promised last time to talk about mangoes this week.

There is a lot to connect over mangoes.

My childhood's huge proportion was related to mangoes,

Visiting grand ma's house in the summers,

Mango eating competition with siblings.

I am sure most of us talk about these experiences with our kids,

but how do you plan to create these beautiful experiences for your kid?

While it is not possible to go back to those days,

We can always find new ways to re-live those beautiful moments.

Take your kids to mango farms if you have something nearby,

Give kids the experience of picking mangoes by themselves.

Luckily, we have a mango tree in my aunt's place.

Adi waits under the tree when there is a strong breeze.

To collect mangoes.

We have still not got our hands on a ripe one yet.

So we continue to wait for a strong breeze.

Cheers, Priyanka

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