Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. As an adult, empathy can help your social-emotional skills to build relationships and respond to situations.
Developing empathy begins as a child. If you are a parent, it is important to help your child develop empathy as a strong tool for adulthood. Toys N More has educational toys to promote the healthy mental development of children. Continue reading to learn more about the stages of empathy.
Stages of Empathy for Children
- Understands that he is his own person
- Understands that he has individual thoughts and feelings than others
- Recognizes common feelings – happiness, surprise, anger, disappointment, sadness, etc.
- Can observe a particular situation and imagine how he would feel in the moment
- Can imagine what response is appropriate for comforting a friend in a particular situation
There are techniques to help promote empathy. The most important is to expose your child to social situations. Most children will gain this exposure through school, daycare or sports. Explaining other children’s emotions can help your child understand them. For example, “Alex is sad because he lost his soccer ball”. You can also ask your child about their emotions, such as “are you sad because you missed soccer practice?”
You should also be a role model of empathy. Be supportive of your child’s emotions. Interact with others in a kind and caring way.
Empathy is a natural developmental process for every child. Toys N More provides learning toys that can support the socio-emotional development of children. Visit our toy store in Reno, Nevada.