Age 5 is a ‘big” age as these kids are getting ready for school! Now we have to focus on getting ready for Kindergarten and learning new skills.
- Empathy is the ability to see the world from someone else’s point of view and to understand another person’s feelings. Such a hard task but an essential task.
- Children will follow your examples. Show an interest in other cultures by reading stories or attending multicultural events.
- Have a kindness board at home. Write down what kind things they have done during the month. Use a different color for each person.
- Allow your child to express their feelings in a safe manner and work with them to understand the feelings of others around them. It starts with a simple conversation starter such as “How do you think Johnny is feeling right now?”
- Help your child develop healthy friendships. Friendships help children learn how to behave in groups and work well with others. Acknowledge your child when they are kind, wait patiently for their turn, help a friend problem solve or when they use their imagination to contribute to the fun!
- Teach your child to apologize and to mean it. An apology is more than just a “I’m sorry”. Apologies are said sincerely; acknowledge your child when they are sincere.
- Talk about what people have in common rather than what is different. Notice the positives of each person!
