Every parent I know wants to raise their kids to be compassionate and caring towards others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We want our kids to be the type of people who:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if we want that for our kids when they’re grown, we need to nurture the seeds of empathy in our children now<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Empathy is a prerequisite<\/strong> for kindness and compassion because it requires you to take someone else’s perspective and imagine how they’re feeling.1<\/a><\/sup> Riess, H. (2017). The Science of Empathy. Journal of patient experience, 4<\/em>(2), 74–77. <\/i><\/a><\/span> If you struggle to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you won’t feel compelled to show compassion towards your fellow humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And with a low level of empathy, you’ll have poor communication skills,2<\/a><\/sup>Cherry, K. (2022, November 29). What to Do If You or a Loved One Lack Empathy.<\/em> Verywell Mind. <\/i><\/a><\/span> struggle to maintain healthy relationships,3<\/a><\/sup>Drake, K. (2021, July 21). Is It Possible to Lack Empathy?<\/em> PsychCentral. <\/i><\/a><\/span> and be less likely to help friends and family when they need support.4<\/a><\/sup>Cherry, K. (2022, November 29). What to Do If You or a Loved One Lack Empathy.<\/em> Verywell Mind. <\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, when your ability to empathize is strong, that correlates with a positive well-being and improved life satisfaction.5<\/a><\/sup> Grühn, D., Rebucal, K., Diehl, M., Lumley, M., & Labouvie-Vief, G. (2008). Empathy across the adult lifespan: Longitudinal and experience-sampling findings. Emotion(Washington, D.C.), 8<\/em>(6), 753–765. <\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n