How to Nurture Empathy in Children

Concern for others and sensitivity to the feelings of others are important empathetic behaviors for young children to learn.

Between the ages of two and four, children start to become aware of their emotions and feelings. Between five and seven years, children start developing compassion and reading emotional cues from others. These stages of development are the foundations that help develop empathy in children.

According to Ashoka Fellow Mary Gordon, Founder of Roots of Empathy, we can intentionally cultivate empathy. For parents, that begins with sharing their own feelings and experiences, which grows with children's emotional literacy.