As a parent, it’s probably one of your top priorities to raise a child who can empathise with others and care for people. Compassion is a key social skill and is an important element of building strong relationships, so you should try and find ways to help your child practise being compassionate on a regular basis. Of course, you probably naturally remind your child to “treat people how you wish to be treated”, but there are ways you can take their learning one step further. Here are some tips from a prep school near St Albans.

Be a Good Role Model

It will be far easier to help your child understand how to behave if they can observe that behaviour from you. In other words, if you want your child to be kind and compassionate, you will have to demonstrate kindness and compassion when you can. For instance, if a waitress brings you the wrong meal when you’re out for dinner, don’t shout and complain. Instead, react in a sympathetic and understanding manner, and once the waitress has left, talk to your child about how embarrassed they must have felt. This should encourage them to start thinking about the feelings of others, so that they can react accordingly.

Put Things Into Perspective

Try and help your child understand how fortunate they are by putting things into perspective. Whenever you do something nice as a family, be sure to point out how lucky you are. When you’re eating a meal, remind your child that lots of people around the world don’t have access to three healthy meals a day. When you’re wrapped up warm under a blanket on a winter’s day, point out how fortunate you compared to so many homeless people out there who are struggling to stay warm. This will not only help your child appreciate what they have but will also encourage them to be mindful of others.

Help Out in the Community

Community work is a practical way to teach your child about compassion. It helps them understand the importance of giving back and caring for those in need. Perhaps you could help out at a food bank, volunteer at the school or in a local animal shelter. You could even just help an elderly neighbour carry their shopping in from the car. Doing so will show your child how easy it is to be kind and what a difference it can make to others.