Kids learn a lot of things from their parents, but are you aware of the 2 most important lessons that you can teach your child?
The first lesson would be empathy
Empathy. It’s a word that we hear a lot, but do we really know what it means? And do we practice it ourselves?
In a nutshell, empathy is knowledge and awareness of another person’s feelings, even if how we feel about a situation is totally different from what they feel. It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, and understanding how they feel.
Empathy is very important to teach to your child as it allows them to communicate better with people, and understand the world from their perspective.
This means that children who practice empathy are more likely to work well with other people, and will surely grow up to become well-adjusted adults. Empathy also breeds respect and understanding, so you and your kids will have a better relationship if you teach them about empathy.
The second lesson is compassion
A small act of kindness can really go a long way. Compassion helps people become more considerate of each other, to think of other people’s welfare first before themselves.
And what’s the best way of teaching compassion? By being compassionate yourself. Kids learn a lot from their parents, and most of their habits and attitude are a direct result of what they see their parents do. Which is why if you feel that you’re not that compassionate, you can take this opportunity to make a positive change in your life that will also impact your kids.
You can also teach compassion by volunteering in the community. Helping other people, whether through donations or by volunteering your time to care for the less fortunate, are both good examples of teaching compassion to your child. It helps them understand that not everyone has the means or the capability in life, but everyone deserves to be treated equally, with love and compassion.
Source: parentingscience.com, huffingtonpost.com
READ: 5 Tips for raising empathetic children
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