Should empathy be fostered in children from an early age? Yes, it should. Empathy is an important skill to foster in young children. It has many benefits and the consequences of going without it can be detrimental to an individual’s social life, career, and health. The topic of empathy is a broad subject; this paper will focus on the definition, and some of its pros and cons, developmental stages, nurturing methods, and resources on fostering empathy, in regards to children.
According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, empathy is defined as "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another..." Meaning that acquiring empathy helps you "relate" to what …show more content…
Babies may respond to the crying of another infant or to the negative facial expressions and actions of a caregiver. Toddlers may respond to another toddler’s pained crying from a fall by patting their head or holding their hand. Small children are capable of showing empathy, even if they cannot explain it or do not recognize it once it is pointed out. Around the age of 4, preschoolers are beginning to show awareness of another’s perspectives and feelings; then around the age of 7, they should be accustomed to the feelings and views of others, and able to give proper responses and reactions during simulations and role plays (Sack, 2012). This would be a great time to begin really stimulating their awareness of others and nurture their use empathy.
There are many ways to nurture empathy in children. Adults can demonstrate empathetic behaviors for children to observe, such as placing a bandage on a child’s scraped knee and giving them a hug. Another way is to remind children of or ask them to think back to a time when they experienced the same thing or something similar (Sack, 2012). Once children are older and more accustomed to seeing another’s perspective, they can be asked to imagine themselves in someone else’s
According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, empathy is defined as "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another..." Meaning that acquiring empathy helps you "relate" to what …show more content…
Babies may respond to the crying of another infant or to the negative facial expressions and actions of a caregiver. Toddlers may respond to another toddler’s pained crying from a fall by patting their head or holding their hand. Small children are capable of showing empathy, even if they cannot explain it or do not recognize it once it is pointed out. Around the age of 4, preschoolers are beginning to show awareness of another’s perspectives and feelings; then around the age of 7, they should be accustomed to the feelings and views of others, and able to give proper responses and reactions during simulations and role plays (Sack, 2012). This would be a great time to begin really stimulating their awareness of others and nurture their use empathy.
There are many ways to nurture empathy in children. Adults can demonstrate empathetic behaviors for children to observe, such as placing a bandage on a child’s scraped knee and giving them a hug. Another way is to remind children of or ask them to think back to a time when they experienced the same thing or something similar (Sack, 2012). Once children are older and more accustomed to seeing another’s perspective, they can be asked to imagine themselves in someone else’s