How (and Why) to Teach Kids to Care: What Amazing New Studies Suggest
by SixWise.com
Raising caring kids is a goal most parents strive for, and
one that's becoming increasingly challenging given the violence,
in media and real-life, that children are inevitably exposed
to these days. There is some good news, though. While researchers
once believed that kids had to learn to care, it seems they
may possess this ability even as toddlers.
One study found that children as young as 21 months show
signs of empathy when their parents are upset (crying or arguing).

Being a supportive and consistent parent is one of
the best ways to raise a caring child.
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Another study, this one published in the American Psychological
Association's (APA) Developmental Psychology journal, found
that even young children who are aggressive and disruptive
show "concern for the welfare of others." However,
the startling finding is that this concern can decrease as
children reach school age.
What has the potential to affect a child's caring for the
better? Warm and supportive parenting. As the study's authors
pointed out, negative parenting can have the opposite effect:
"Our results ... show important links between parenting
style and children's prosocial development ... The present
results clearly suggest that mothers who are overly strict
and harshly punitive, who do not tend to reason or establish
reasonable and consistent rules, and who strongly show their
anger or disappointment with their children, are likely
to impede their children's prosocial development."
Fortunately, as a parent you don't have to just sit back
and hope that your child turns out to be a compassionate,
caring individual who shows concern for the welfare of others.
You can take the following steps to actively ensure that your
child grows into a caring adult.

Kids show signs of caring in the earliest years of
their lives--caring parents help to keep the caring
there as children grow up.
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1. Teach your child the importance of charity. Every
so often, go through your closets and drawers to find clothing
you don't wear anymore or toys that are no longer used. Have
your children do the same. Donate the items to Goodwill or
the Salvation Army and explain to your kids that their donation
will go to someone in need. Other methods include traveling
to nursing homes to visit an elderly "grandparent"
or volunteering at a local homeless shelter as a family.
Children should also be encouraged to donate a portion of
their allowance. The award-winning Money
Savvy Pig is an excellent tool to help them do this.
Much more than an ordinary piggy bank, the Money Savvy Pig
has four chambers, one for each of the "money choices"
that children have when they earn or receive money--save,
spend, donate or invest.
It's up to them to decide how much should be "donated,"
and as a parent you can monitor their donations and discuss
their importance. Children can then decide where to donate
their money (for instance, to a local humane society, a charity
of their choice or buying toys for needy kids).

If you're caring to others (and your child), your child
is more likely to be caring too.
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2. Let your kids know what type of behavior you like,
and what you don't. If you spot your child doing something
not-so-nice, let them know. But rather than saying, "You're
not nice," (which could hurt them personally) say something
like, "When you took your brother's toy, it made him
cry. That wasn't a very nice thing to do. I'd like it if you
shared your toys with him, and I think he'd like it too."
If your children learn that caring behaviors are important
to you, they're likely to become important to your kids, too.
3. Be caring yourself. Children learn by watching
others, which means that if you're caring to others (and to
your children) your kids are likely to be also. Take time
to help an elderly neighbor plant flowers, volunteer your
time to tutor needy kids after school or say hello to a homeless
person. Whenever possible, involve your kids as well, and
point out to them how something as simple as a caring word
or smile can brighten someone else's day.
4. Teach your child to respect all living things.
Taking a stray animal to a shelter or feeding ducks in a pond
can help your child learn the concept of respecting others.
It's also important to let your child know that you respect
him or her, and praise them when they do something kind.
Teach Your Child the Importance of
Charity With the Money Savvy Pig

Winner of the Parents' Choice Foundation Gold Award
and honored as a USA TODAY "Product of the Year,"
the engaging Money
Savvy Piggy Bank will teach your kids more about
money in a few weeks than your parents ever taught you!
The four chambers (save, spend, donate, invest) prompt
your child to consider what the best choice is for their
money and then allows them to make it ... thus educating
them while building confidence because they don't feel
controlled. They made the decision!
Once the "donate" chamber is full, let your
child decide which charity or activity they'd like to
give their money to (buying a toy for a needy child,
donating to a cancer charity or an animal shelter, etc.).
Your child will feel proud of his contribution, and
he'll learn the great feeling of giving first-hand!
Read
About the "Educational Toy of the Year" that
Will Help Teach Your Kids to Manage Their Money for
Life!
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5. Expose your child to books and TV that teach caring.
Many books and TV programs can encourage caring in kids. Take
your child to your local library and let them choose some
on their own, or ask the librarian for help. You may also
want to limit
the amount of violent TV your child watches--a study by
the National Institute of Mental Health found that kids who
see kindness on TV may imitate it, so the same may also hold
true for violence.
6. Let your child nurture. Giving kids a chance to
take care of a younger sibling, pet or even a plant can help
them learn the importance of taking care of others, and how
good it feels to do something nice for another person or animal.
7. Encourage kids to "contribute" their own
special talents. Everyone has unique talents, and letting
kids share theirs will increase their sense of self-worth
while instilling in them the importance of giving. For instance,
if your older child is gifted at music, encourage him to donate
music lessons to the needy, or if your child is an honor student,
encourage him to tutor kids after school.
Recommended Reading
Kids
and Money: 5 Keys to Teaching Kids Money Management Skills
How
to Find Registered Sex Offenders and Child Predators in Your
Area
Sources
American
Psychological Association
Keep
Kids Healthy
APA:
What Makes Kids Care?
Teaching
Kids to Care