Compassion is the willingness to help others and treat them with care and consideration. Humanly, we are all born with this ability and there are a number of things that you can do to raise a compassionate child as a prep school in Northwood shares.

Spotting the Signs

Emotions are very much universally understood through our facial expressions and body language. Teaching your child what to look out for can help them to visually identify when someone is distressed and offer help. Furthermore, this can help them to be a good ally to friends and others in need.

How to Listen

To demonstrate compassion, one must be a good listener and be patient. This can help your child to demonstrate empathy and help those around them. A fun game that you can play with your child to boost their listening skills is  called Chinese Whispers.

Learning to Give

Teach your child that it’s better to give than it is to receive. This can help them to show compassion and selflessness. This is something that you can work on together by getting involved with charities. Try running your own fundraiser or donating old things that you no longer need. We have done numerous things in the past as community is very important to us as a family.

Highlight Compassionate Behaviour

Making a deal out of acts of kindness and compassion can help your child to understand more about why it’s important to be compassionate to others and how to demonstrate it. This might be thanking your partner for the hot chocolate that they’ve made for you after a long day or for helping you out when you’re busy. Your child will model your respectful behaviour.

Making a Stand Against Rudeness

Highlighting rude and poor behaviour can have the same effect by teaching your child that it’s never okay to be mean to others. This can help them to be kinder and more considerate of those around them.