Empathy Development: How Can We Change the World, One Child at a Time?

By Heather Noe, Anchor Specialist, NC Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative

In my travels to child care centers around the state of North Carolina, I came upon this display about empathy in a center’s hallway. The creator, Christy Beeson, Child Development Supervisor of The Learning Place at Thomasville Medical Center, worked hard to spark conversations about empathy in her facility. In order to talk about the importance of empathy, we must have a shared understanding of what empathy is: the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal or fictional character. Children need to learn how to be empathetic in order to develop relationships and behave compassionately among peers and in groups so that their social networks and skills serve their health and well-being throughout their lives (Psychology Today, n.d.). Read on to find reasons why empathy is important for young children to develop, and how to foster those blossoming empathy skills.

7 Reasons Why Empathy is Important for Children to Learn 

1. Helps children identify how others are feeling. With empathy, children can connect with others and understand the world around them.
2. Builds a sense of connection. Understanding others’ feelings, problems, or hardships will allow children to relate to them.
3. Encourages tolerance. Empathy encourages children to exercise compassion towards others and to realize that there are people who differ from them and that is okay.
4. Promotes good mental health. Understanding and practicing empathy helps children handle stressful or emotionally challenging situations.
5. Brings harmony to the social group (family, classroom, circle of friends). Empathy allows children to work together to accomplish a goal, share resources and be a support to others
6. Provides a unique point of view. Understanding different perspectives can help children adapt to situations and people around them.
7. Helps children grow into empathetic adults. Our society needs people who know how to care for others, how to understand others and how to treat others with kindness and respect (Spark Interest with Sara, 2021).

How to Help Children Develop Empathy

Adults will need to be intentional about fostering empathy development in young children by paying attention to learning opportunities as they are presented in day-to-day interactions. Here are a few simple tips to support empathy learning and growth:

• Be a role model. Treat others with respect and fairness. Explain in age-appropriate language why you have empathy when a situation arises.
• Read stories about feelings. Reading books or watching movies about feelings and empathetic situations can help children understand and normalize a range of emotions.
• Giving opportunities to empathize. Seek out social opportunities to mingle with other children and families. Help them understand and work through social situations by pointing out others’ perspectives.
• Praise them for showing displays of empathy. “Good Job” is a nice phrase but not very specific praise. Show your enthusiasm and use descriptive language to describe what you noticed: “You saw that your friend was sad and you asked to give him a hug” (Made Easy School, 2021).

“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins.  And it’s up to you to make that happen.  Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.” – Barack Obama