COMPASSION: Caring
enough to do something about someone else’s need.
Following
through from recognizing a need, to deciding to help, to taking action is the
process of showing compassion. Why is it important to teach compassion as a
value? Because doing something about someone else’s need helps us to:
Look outside ourselves. Children start
life aware only of their needs and wants. Focusing on personal desires is not something
that we need to be taught. Seeing the problems of others around us is a learned
skill. Finding and pointing out examples of needs is the most direct way to
teach this first component of compassion.
Connect decisions and actions. Recognizing
needs around us awakens our concern. But concern grows into compassion when
action is taken to care for the need. Community service, charity work and
contributions are all examples of actions motivated by compassion. When
children show compassion, they are learning to turn decisions into actions
which have immediate benefits and enduring value.
Build an attitude of
gratefulness. The receiver of a compassionate gift or act is not the only
one who benefits. A child can easily recognize the contrast between having and
not having something valuable. Children begin to learn gratefulness when they
see that they have something of value to give.
Demonstrate worth. Some needs are
small and can be met quickly and simply. Children come to realize that caring
enough about someone else’s need may mean giving up a desire of their own,
temporarily or permanently. But in any case, the focus should be the worth of
the person rather than the value of the gift.
CATCH YOUR
CHILD BEING compassionate
Core
Essentials believes that a key way to help your child internalize the character
values being taught is to “catch” them demonstrating the value. Here are a few
suggestions on how you can catch your child, and let him or her know you see
them showing compassion.
•
Watch for times when your child takes the time to help others at home.
•
Note when your child comes to someone’s aid, such as when someone needs help learning
a game, or needs an extra hand bringing in the groceries.
•
Look for your child being sympathetic when someone falls or gets hurt while
playing.
• Help your child participate in fundraisers for others’
needs, such as a canned food drive.
These are just a few
ways you can catch your child showing compassion. The Core Essentials Program believes it
takes an INWARD attitude to influence OUTWARD behavior. The Program is based on
aligning the home and school to teach character.
If you do catch your
child being compassionate, we would love to hear about it. Tell us what your
child did in a note sent into the school, or an e-mail sent directly to his or
her teacher.
© 2009 Core Essentials, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.coreessentials.org.