With so much negativity happening in the world, having someone show us a bit of compassion can help us see the good in many things. When you become a recipient of someone’s kindness, you begin to understand the positive impact of empathy. This might inspire you to share this realisation by passing on the kindness you received to others. Compassion, empathy, and selflessness are powerful virtues that make an individual a better member of the human community. However, to become a compassionate person, one has to go on a continuous learning journey that often starts in childhood.

The things children experience and learn during their early years can set the foundation of their behaviour and may shape their perception of the world. This makes early childhood the perfect period to instil good morals in your child. If they learn good values when they’re still young, there’s a better chance that they will carry the lessons they learned with them as they grow older. As a parent living in Singapore, you want to make sure that you’re imparting virtues effectively to your child, ensuring the right message gets across. To help you with this noble yet challenging task, here are some tips to guide Singapore parents in raising a compassionate child.

Start Building Good Moral Character at Home

Home is typically where children first learn how to walk, talk, and socialise, so it’s only natural that it’s also the first place where your child receives their education. In their formative years, everything they know stems from their experiences in the household. This presents the perfect opportunity to start building your child’s good moral character at home.

You don’t necessarily have to sit your child down and lecture them about the importance of good virtues. They can develop a strong moral character by simply observing and emulating your actions. Simple acts like using kind words when speaking, cleaning up after yourself, and showing respect to the other people in the household can leave a lasting positive impression on your child. Eventually, the things your child learns at home can help them establish their own good traits, which can aid them in navigating their learning journey when they attend a preschool in Bukit Timah that parents highly recommend.

Use Praise Wisely When Commending Their Good Behaviour

Children respond well to praise, and that’s why it’s considered to be a powerful motivating tool to encourage good behaviour. Just like adults, children crave social approval because it makes them feel good. However, it’s important to use praise wisely to prevent negative consequences.

If you rarely praise your child’s good behaviour, it’ll be difficult for them to recognize and build a habit of doing good deeds. Every once in a while, children need to be reminded about doing the right thing, so they can retain the lessons they’ve learned. Being consistent with praise and reward will help them understand that what they’re doing is admirable and correct.

Praising your child excessively for every expected good action, on the other hand, can be negatively perceived as patronising if the child is savvy enough to understand the concept. It can also damage their self-esteem, or worse, fuel the development of narcissism in children because it makes them think that the only acceptable good behaviour is their own.

Encourage Your Child to Talk About Their Difficult Emotions

Anger, sadness, fear, and jealousy are just a few examples of emotions children find hard to deal with. When your child throws a fit, for example, their entire being is having difficulty processing the situation because they don’t understand why they’re feeling this way.  This results in your child kicking, screaming, and crying in frustration, which could lead to emotional and physical stress.

A lot of parents tend to punish their children for acting out. However, if you reprimand your child, you miss the opportunity to talk about their feelings. Discussing difficult emotions with your child gives you the chance to have a strong, open, and honest relationship with them. You also get to help them better understand the emotions they’re going through and find less destructive ways to handle them together.

When your child can talk about their emotions freely with you, you’re also helping them become a more empathetic person. By acknowledging their emotions and showing them ways to express them in a healthier manner, they’ll be able to understand and consider the feelings of others.

There are many things you can do to help your child comprehend something as complex as their emotions. One of the most popular ways is to purchase children’s books that talk about emotions. You can find kids’ books that can effectively convey how your child can cope with their complex emotions through short stories and images. You can also read these books together with your child, so if any questions arise, you’ll be there to answer them.

Conclusion

The world could always use more compassionate individuals. After all, those who could see the good in things can inspire others to become better and kinder people in their communities, not only in Singapore but also globally. Compassion, however, is a virtue that’s best taught during one’s childhood years. When parents teach their children the values of compassion early, their kids will be more mindful of their actions and become more responsible as they get older.