To be compassionate is to show to empathy and concern for others. This is a very important trait to have, and parents can start teaching their children the importance of being kind at an early age. As a child develops and gains more knowledge of people and the world around them, a parent can instill kindness in their children by taking a few simple steps.
- Be a Role Model for Compassionate Behavior
When it comes to behavior, a parent is usually a child’s first role model. Seeing the way their parents react to people and situations will impact their own future behavior. Therefore, a parent can show their children what compassion looks like by simply being a compassionate person.
A parent can volunteer their time at a local food bank or donate clothes to a shelter in order to show their child the importance of caring for others. A parent can also bring their child along with them when they volunteer; by doing so, a child can get a first-hand look at other people’s experiences and develop compassion for those who are less fortunate.
Also, never underestimate the importance of simple gestures. Children are also watching when parents show gratitude or open doors for others. If a child notices their parents doing these small but polite gestures, the more likely they are to follow that behavior.
- Help Them to Cope with Uncomfortable Feelings
As a child develops, they will discover a range of emotions, including some—anger, frustration, envy—that are uncomfortable to deal with. Teach a child that while those feelings are common and normal, there is also a right and an inappropriate way to cope with them.
Help a child learn how to manage and process those feelings by providing them with techniques on how to effectively deal with emotions. For example, a child can learn to take deep breaths or count to ten or walk away and take a ten-minute break from a situation whenever they’re upset or frustrated (especially if the situation involves another person).
Parents can also teach by example by doing the same techniques when confronted with uncomfortable emotions.
- Acknowledge Compassion
Parents can encourage children by taking note of every time their child displays compassionate behavior. A parent can tell a child, “That was nice of you to share your toys with your sister,” or “Good job for standing up for that kid at school.” When a child is praised for kind behavior, this will enable them to continue on that path.
Parents can also point out examples of compassionate behavior on TV and movies.
- Teach Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is more than saying “thank you” to others. It’s also about teaching children perspectives that allow them to be grateful for the privileges they have in life. According to an article by the Association for Psychological Science, a person is less likely to be depressed when they’re able to acknowledge and focus on other people’s situations; therefore, gratitude is linked to compassion.
It’s never too early to start teaching children the importance of compassion. And a child that learns compassion at an early age is more likely to grow up to become a compassionate and kind adult.