Why Teaching Compassion is important for Childhood Development

There are many reasons why teaching compassion is important for childhood development.

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy for another who is affected by misfortune or suffering, coupled with a powerful desire to alleviate that pain.

Teaching children compassion is a vital part of their childhood learning journey – and a skill that will help them throughout their life.

Through learning the importance of compassion, children will learn how to be kind to themselves, others and help those in need. As part of a broader skill set, compassion will help them think creatively in situations, make decisions that inspire their personal journey, and pursue life with purpose.

Helping children understand what others are feeling, the impact of their own actions and the reasons behind why someone might feel a certain way is a valuable life skill for children because it:

  • Encourages kindness, patience, acceptance and tolerance of the self and others
  • Cultivates a better understanding of others
  • Builds stronger relationships with other children
  • Promotes social harmony and, as a result, lowers risks of bully-ish behaviour.

How do we help children develop compassion at Wild.Kind?

First and foremost, we provide an environment that encourages care and compassion for ourselves and each other. We also share and promote the passion for kind interaction with each other, with nature and all other inhabitants of this earth, whether two-, four- or even multi-legged.

We also take the time to:

  • Encourage children to talk about their feelings, which helps them understand themselves as well as others
  • Be open with children about how they’re feeling and why, to help them express their emotions through language
  • Encourage care for animals and plants to help children understand their important role in helping other living things survive, thrive and be happy
  • Teach children why negativity towards others can cause negative outcomes, which helps them learn about taking the perspective of somebody else and how to empathise
  • Deepen their understanding of how to care for the environment by encouraging their involvement in the playschool’s paper and plastics recycling program.

We truly believe these are just a few of the reasons why teaching compassion is important for childhood development. You can find out more about the Wild.Kind. philosophy on this page.

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