How To Raise Kids Who Care About Other People

kali9 via Getty Images There are practical ways to foster empathy in children. “You can ask things like, ‘How do you think it made Tommy feel when you took his toy?’ or, ‘That made Mommy really sad when you hit me,’” said Borba. “Own up to moments you could’ve made better choices to be kinder to the people around you.” Make Kindness A Family Activity Families can prioritize kindness with small routines like taking time at dinner every night to ask everyone to share two kind things they did, or writing down simple ways to be caring that they can all discuss together, said Borba. “Help them realize the life of giving is better than the life of getting.” Families might also consider writing down their own mission statements, suggested Thomas Lickona, a developmental psychologist and author of “How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain.” “ a set of ‘we’ statements that express the values and virtues you commit to live by ― for example, ‘We show kindness through kind words and kind actions’; ‘We say we’re sorry when we’ve hurt someone’s feelings’; ‘We forgive and make up when we’ve had a fight,’” he explained. Lickona also recommended holding everyone accountable to the family values at weekly family meetings centered around questions like, “How did we use kind words this week?” and, “What would help us not say unkind things even if we’re upset with somebody?” “When kids slip into speaking unkindly ― as nearly all sometimes will ― gently ask for a ‘redo,’” he said.