To develop a child’s understanding of being compassionate, there are many elements to consider that revolve around this. Compassion is a core moral value that encompasses many other elements as well, like gratitude, kindness and honesty.
To help you and your child explore compassion as a trait that will naturally grow as they get older, here are some tips to try recommended by this independent school in Surrey.
Show your child what it means to be compassionate
Your child won’t know how to be compassionate if they’re not shown through others. It’s where modelling compassion in your day-to-day activities will show your child how they can do the same.
Point out signs of compassion that you see throughout your day and see how they feel about acts of kindness happening in front of them. If they’re exposed to as many different examples as they can see then they’re able to pick these up slowly in their own time.
Praise your child for doing well
Having that exposure of knowing how to be compassionate will in turn help your child perform many acts of kindness in public. When you see these happen, praise and reward your child for their effort. Remind them that they are doing a good thing when they do these things. It’ll motivate them to keep being compassionate in front of their friends, family and siblings.
Make your child aware of poor behaviour
Having bad behaviour, and getting away with it, spells a lot of trouble for parents. Ensure that you stamp out any bad behaviour when you see it, and bring it back to how this should be an opportunity for your child to change.
Remind them of the consequences of being a badly behaved child and how it can affect their future. Even the smallest changes can impact a child’s development, and so it’s up to parents to make sure that positivity surrounds them as much as is possible.
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