LET'S TALK about EMPATHY Conversation Starters

When we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and try to understand what’s going on in their lives - or what they may have experienced in the past - we are better able to understand their behavior and feel empathy for them...even those who have been mean or hurtful, and those we strongly disagree with. 
 
These conversation starters will take children through a series of animals, different people they know, and a variety of challenging circumstances - in order to help them imagine and talk about how it would feel to be something or someone else. We begin by asking them what it might feel like to be a bug, a fish, a snake, a horse, etc. Specific questions are included, such as: What’s great about being a bird? What does a snake worry about? What do you think a dog might be afraid of? Why would make an elephant happy or sad? After a series of animals, we move onto people your child is familiar with; mom, dad, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and maybe even the neighborhood fireman. Finally, we stimulate discussion around what it might feel like to be handicapped, blind, disadvantaged, or less fortunate in some way. 
 
After just 20 to 30 of these brief conversations, the brain has created new neural pathways. When your child encounters situations that call for empathy, she/he will automatically think about how someone else feels.