COMPASSION IS THE COUGAR WORD OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY.
In February, the Crocker Cougar word is “Compassion. “It is important to encourage compassion in children, the knack of understanding how someone else feels and treating him or her with kindness. We must teach children to go beyond feeling sad for someone; we must also teach them to act on their feelings by doing something for someone else.
Compassion is to feel and show concern for others, to be thoughtful and considerate.
Compassion looks like helping others, being nice, being thoughtful.
Compassion sounds like “Can I do that for you?” or “I’m sad that you got hurt.”
Compassion feels like being supported or that people care about you.
Other words for compassion are sympathetic, empathetic, concerned, kind, considerate, caring, gentle, giving, tender hearted.
You can teach compassion by asking your child to put “him/herself “into someone else’s shoes.” The easiest way is to simply say “How would you feel if that happened to you?”
Start a Conversation about Compassion with your child: Visit the Compassion Board next to the office and talk to your child about the images you see or the words and quotes. Ask questions: ~Are you a generous person? ~How have your shown compassion? ~Tell a story about a time someone showed you compassion. ~Do all people deserve to be treated with compassion? Why or why not? ~Have you ever shown compassion to nature or an animal? ~Think of someone you know who is in need. What keeps you from reaching out in compassion?
You can Teach Compassion Through Action: ~Model Compassion ~Act as a Volunteer ~Give to a Charity ~Study Examples from History of Compassionate People ~Make Cards or Crafts for Those Who are Shut In/Hospitalized ~Perform Acts of Thoughtful Kindness ~Discipline with Explanations: When your child misbehaves, explain the problem and allow the child to think about how they would feel if that happened to them—ask your child to put themselves into the other person’s shoes. ~Encourage Apologies & Forgiveness
Please follow this entry on the website for some simple effective strategies can help compassion and empathy bloom as our children grow http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Easy-Ways-to-Teach-Kids-Empathy&id=183388.
5 Easy Ways to Teach Kids Empathy (c) Norma Schmidt, LLC (limited liability corporation)
One day my fourth-grader found himself out in the hall at school, struggling with a math assignment..As my son stared glumly at the math paper on the desk in front of him, a fifth-grader who was walking by stopped and asked, “Do you need help?”"Yeah, I was absent and I don’t know how to do this,” my son answered.The fifth-grader, who had never met my son before, gave him exactly the information needed to complete the assignment. Two years later, my son remembers the fifth-grader’s timely help. Even better, my son remembers the older boy’s example of empathy.We all want our kids to develop empathy — that essential knack for understanding how another person feels and responding with kindness. We want our children to grow up to be thoughtful, compassionate adults who are “tuned in” to the feelings and needs of others. Fortunately, some simple, effective strategies can help empathy bloom as our children grow. Here are five strategies that busy parents can use.
1. Help your child describe his or her own feelings.
Kids need to be able to label their own feelings in order to understand how others feel. “Mad,” “sad,” and “happy” will probably be the starting point. From there, your child can learn words like “disappointed,” ”surprised,” “excited,” “scared,” “thankful,” “left out,” and more. So, when a child has a strong feeling, we can lay a foundation for empathy by helping our child put the feeling into words.
2. Help your child learn to read facial expressions and body language.
Point out facial expressions and other “body-language” clues to feelings when you look at pictures together. You might also “freeze-frame” videos to call attention to characters’ faces and body positions.You could also play a game of “Feeling Theater.” List some “feeling words” on paper. Choose one and act it out, using just your facial expression and body language, and have your child guess the feeling you’re trying to express. Then reverse roles.
3. Discuss how actions influence feelings.
For example, you could say, “Grandma looked so happy when you said thank you for her gift! Did you see her big smile?” We can also point out how behavior mistakes affect feelings: “Did you see how that little girl put her head down after the other kids kept her out of their game? How do you think she was feeling?”
4. Provide models of empathy.
When we treat our child with empathy, we provide not only emotional nourishment but also a model of kindness that our child can imitate. It’s especially valuable to show empathy when our child has made a mistake, such as knocking over a glass or milk or accidentally tracking mud into the house. We can also point out real-life examples of empathy in the news, in history, in our neighborhood or in our faith community.
5. Give plenty of practice.
Watch for opportunities to practice empathy. For example, when you’re at a playground or park you might say, “That little girl looks lonely. Do you think you could see if she wants to play with you?” Or, when you’re at home you could say, “Dad looks hot and tired. How about if we take him a glass of lemonade?” Of course, the more we can involve our child in acts of kindness, the better. Cooking meals as a family to take to a homeless shelter or making get-well cards for sick relatives can help make empathy a habit.
BONUS TIP:
When your child does a kind deed, comment on it. “Oh, you’re helping me clean up the juice I spilled — that’s being KIND! Thank you!” Author Mimi Doe suggests putting a piece of paper on the refrigerator door where family members can record their kind deeds. Such a strategy can help your family create a “culture” of empathy and kindness.
With these small, everyday steps, you’ll gently guide your child on the road to becoming a thoughtful, compassionate adult.
5 Easy Ways to Teach Kids Empathy (c) Norma Schmidt, LLC (limited liability corporation) http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Easy-Ways-to-Teach-Kids-Empathy&id=183388
