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When children learn to speak freely, make new friends and socialise with others, it’s time to teach them about being kind to others and learning about compassion – a key skill for children to understand.
When your child is around 4 years old they’ll be able to understand the thoughts and feelings of others, and react to them. And your child more often than not will be able to help others and show them that respect towards others.
To model compassion in your home, here are some ways to help your child grow with a kind heart, from this co-educational school in the Cotswolds.
Model positive action
Show that you too are a positive person and that you can see the good side to a lot of different scenarios. Focus on showing them that you are a good role model that can face criticism or be able to handle mistakes but handle them in an optimistic way. These moments can be key for your child, as they’ll be following a lot of what you already do to see where they can learn for themselves.
Acknowledge when they’re rude
Make a note of telling your child when they’re speaking out of turn or are saying something harmful towards someone else. Show them calmly that they should be respecting others at all times, as well as showing them that bad behaviour is not fair on other people that they’re speaking to.
When they’re kind, show them that you noticed
Nothing warms the heart more than seeing your child be kind towards another out of the goodness of their heart. When you see this happen, say to them “hey, I noticed how kind you were to your friend there, that was very sweet.” These small positive affirmations will have a long lasting effect on your child as they continue to learn about compassion.
