Developing empathy and compassion is important for all children and should feature in all early education programs.
Building empathy at childcare can provide children with a variety of skills that support their overall social-emotional development. By practising empathy in a childcare setting, children can learn to contribute positively to their friendships and communities.
Wondering why empathy building is so important in the early years? Here’s what you should know!
Why Empathy Education Matters
Empathy allows children to relate to other people and their experiences, showing compassion for their peers. It supports kindness, friendship, and other important social skills.
Learning empathy early on can support children to build meaningful friendships with others. Children who learn to practise empathy know how to treat others with kindness and respect, and they are also equipped to practise courage, standing up for themselves and their friends.
Empathy can also have an impact on children’s happiness and emotional well-being. By developing empathy, children can improve their relationships and avoid isolation. This helps children to develop confidence and feel included in their childcare community.
As children grow, empathy remains a valuable skill. At school, children will often use empathy skills with their friends. Empathy can also hold the key to professional success later on in life.
How to Teach Children Empathy
There are many ways to help children learn empathy skills in the early years.
Children learn to practise empathy by mimicking empathetic behaviours displayed by their caregivers. When parents and educators are role models for empathy, children can learn how to be kind and compassionate in their own lives.
Another great way to support empathy development is by providing children with dolls they can care for. Allowing children to nurture a toy helps them to learn the value of caring for someone or something else. This understanding can then be applied to other contexts.
Empathy at Childcare
Empathy learning is an important part of most early education curriculum programs because empathy is recognised for its importance in overall social-emotional development.
In a childcare setting, your child may be encouraged to learn and practise empathy skills by participating in learning activities, including imaginative play. Children may also be read picture books that focus on empathy concepts, or they may be encouraged to practise empathy with their peers.
Early childhood educators are able to help children develop empathy from a young age, teaching them the importance of compassion. As children build and maintain friendships at childcare, they will be able to practise empathy skills regularly.
Through your child’s childcare journey, they may sometimes face challenges in the process of empathy development, instead facing jealousy or anger. When these challenges occur, you can help your child process their emotions and consider their responses so that they know how to approach challenges with empathy in the future.
If you’re looking for a local childcare centre to help your child learn empathy skills, visit MyXplor to search for great centres near you, like those listed on the North Perth vacation care page!