Teaching Empathy to Young Children

We can teach children to respond to their peers with Christ-like empathy! Empathy is all about putting on that “garment of compassion” that Colossians talks about: offering kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience in the name of Jesus. It’s the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, bridging the gap so that we can love in Jesus’ name.

Our first step, though, is to teach our kids how to recognize that their friend is needing them to empathize. Recently, Reach Hurting Kids Institute partnered with Maegan Hall to create a fun, friendly video for kids that explores the topic of empathy. In this resource, Maegan’s friend, Zadie, wonders how she can help her friend who is upset. She learns that sometimes, hurts aren’t something you can’t see – sometimes, it’s more like a hurt heart. Maegan encourages Zadie to offer empathy to her friend, and in doing so, she shares the love of God with them.