Empathy is a skill that must often be learned. It has to be learned in childhood and adults are in charge of transmitting it to children on a day-to-day basis. Children grow up believing that the world revolves around them. So the sooner you help them understand that everyone has feelings and emotions, the less likely they are to behave in ways that could hurt others. But how do you get it?
Highlight acts of kindness
In general, it is better to find natural opportunities to teach empathy than to force them. Every time your child shows respect for someone, you should reinforce this inclination with a simple narrative, for example, if you see your preschooler covering a sleeping baby or a doll with a blanket, let him know that this is a kind act saying something like: 'It was very nice of you to cover him so that he is not cold.'
Question, don't explain
You cannot explain empathy to a young child, but you can begin to know what their thinking is like about other people's feelings. Young children will not understand great explanations but if you ask them you can raise their level of consciousness. For example, if your child won't allow his friend to play with his stuffed animals, ask him: 'How do you think he feels when you don't share your toys with him?'
Help him understand body language
Being able to interpret gestures and facial expressions is one of the basic ways we develop empathy. You need to teach your children to understand other people's body language. Your child may not understand it at first, but when he does, he will be attentive to other people's reactions and will be able to notice how his own behavior can affect others.
Great !!