The following 10 tips for teaching empathy are evidence based inspired by scientific research and have been compiled by Gwen Dewar, Ph.D.
- Address your child’s own needs, and teach him how to “bounce back” from distress
- Be a “mind minded” parent
- Seize everyday opportunities to model – and induce – sympathetic feelings for other people
- Help kids discover what they have in common with other people
- Teach kids about the hot-cold empathy gap
- Help kids explore other roles and perspectives
- Show kids how to “make a face” while they try to imagine how someone else feels
- Help kids develop a sense of morality that depends on internal self-control, not on rewards or punishments
- Teach (older) kids about mechanisms of moral disengagement
- Inspire good feelings (and boost oxytocin levels) through pleasant social interactions and physical affection
