| How many times have you heard someone asking a | | | | these skills. We need to create an "emotion rich" |
| child "How do you think that made him feel?" or "How | | | | environment where emotions and feelings are as |
| do you think that made her feel?" ?? Being able to put | | | | much a part of everyday language, discussions and |
| yourself imaginatively into the shoes of another and | | | | displays as numerical or literacy based activities. |
| feel what the world is like from their perspective is a | | | | Children need us to point out " you look very smiley |
| skill that we, as adults expect children to be able to do | | | | today...you must be feeling happy" or "your face is |
| automatically from a very young age. | | | | very red and scrunched up...are you feeling cross?". |
| Sure enough research has shown time and again that | | | | They do not naturally know the difference between |
| children are born with an inbuilt ability to display | | | | feelings which may feel similar. For example when you |
| empathy for others. A baby will cry if it hears another | | | | are feeling happy you heart starts to pound, you feel |
| cry, a toddler with reach to hug his mother if he sees | | | | like jumping about, you smile, you might get butterflies in |
| her cry, but as children grow their ability to empathise | | | | your tummy.......and how do you feel when you are |
| seems to become less of a natural process and they | | | | excited?? My guess is the same!!!! Children need our |
| will need help if they are to maintain this ability in later | | | | help on an everyday basis to identify the physical |
| life. | | | | feeling and link it to the language of emotion. |
| But how can we expect young children to be able to | | | | So next time you walk into your early years |
| show empathy for others if they have not yet been | | | | setting...stop...look around and think "is this an emotion |
| given the opportunity to recognise, explore and work | | | | rich environment?" and if the answer is no...think how |
| through their own emotions? Let alone be able to | | | | you can plan to make it a place where all children are |
| identify and ultimately empathise with the emotions of | | | | able to explore and express their feelings and |
| another! We as the adults who interact with preschool | | | | emotions on an everyday basis and where building |
| children on an everyday basis need to give children | | | | empathy for others is a key overall objective of your |
| situations which allow them the chance to grasp all of | | | | setting. |