The Christmas season is a special time filled with joy, excitement, and giving but this year the festive season falls at a time when the world around us is gripped in complexity, from the cost of living crisis to a lack of peace in lands all around us. As parents, we may want to use this time to teach our children about empathy and kindness as a different take on the joy of giving. It can be really powerful to remind our smallest citizens that giving comes in many forms – our kindness, our listening, our perspective and our joy. While many children eagerly anticipate the arrival of gifts from the North Pole, it’s important for them to also recognise that the season is framed by much more than wrapped wonder.
By instilling a sense of empathy in our little ones at a young age we offer our world the best chance of a more connected, inclusive and kind future. In my own work, I spend a lot of time working with parents and schools to look at how we create a deep sense of reconnection and understanding in the generation behind us. The real challenge is to find ways that can encourage children to think beyond themselves and embrace the importance and role of community and the end of the year is a perfect time to do so.
I have collated five tips here that we parents have been finding success with across borders and cultures this year, and I have adapted them to the season.
Tip 1: Discuss the Meaning of Empathy:
Start by having open and frequent conversations with your children about the meaning of understanding the outlook and lives of others. Explain that, during the festive season, it’s not just about giving and receiving gifts, but also about showing understanding towards others – gifting our ears, our compassion and our patience as well. Empower them to find simple ways to trial their empathy with their friends and family by helping them to listen actively and always consider “how are they feeling right now?” as their default response.
Tip 2: Teach Children About Different Experiences:
Take the opportunity to introduce your children to different experiences and stories they may not be familiar with. Share stories of individuals or families who may not receive gifts during Christmas and discuss the challenges they face. Answer their questions honestly and openly and help them truly see the world from the perspective of others. We often shy away from “sad” realities from our children but they need to understand sadness or lacking in others as much as they do the joy and gratitude of ‘having’. This can be done through books, movies, or personal anecdotes. By exposing children to different perspectives, they can develop empathy and understand that not everyone’s circumstances are the same. This understanding can inspire them to help others in meaningful ways.
Tip 3: Encourage Giving Back:
Make giving back a part of your family’s Christmas traditions. Involve your children in acts of charity, such as participating in toy drives, donating clothes, or volunteering at a local shelter. This hands-on experience allows children to understand the realities of others and truly empathise with people who live differently from them. It also allows them to connect firsthand with the impact they can have on others.
Tip 4: Practice Active Listening:
Teach children the importance of active listening and understanding the feelings of others. Encourage them to engage in conversations without judgment, listen actively, and ask open-ended questions to learn more about others’ experiences. Teach them to always ask people “How does that make you feel?” and really listen to the answers. Children are never too young to learn this and by 6 this can become a natural default for them.
Tip 5: Share Stories
Empathy is taught primarily by role-modelling and by parents acting in empathy and encouraging children to do the same, however, storytelling also plays a powerful role. Whether it is via movies or books, allow your children the gift of the imagination and honing this skill as they imagine living in another’s reality. A Christmas Carol is a classic tale of seeing things through a different lens and realising the importance of compassion and empathy at this time of year. Sharing and telling stories with your children can be an incredibly impactful tool for helping them gain new perspectives and create a shared understanding with those around them.
Teaching children empathy during the Christmas season is a beautiful way to nurture their hearts and minds and to know that, as parents, we are actively making a difference in ‘healing’ the world beyond today but for the future. During the season of giving, gift your children the ability to understand those we share our lives and planet with. Help them become the citizens we so desperately need more of and inspire them to bring new light to our world.