Cincinnati Children's Blog
  • Y&H Podcast
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Y&H Podcast
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
HOME/Learning and Growing/Tips for Teaching Empathy To Kids During the Holidays

Tips for Teaching Empathy To Kids During the Holidays

Tips for Teaching Empathy To Kids During the Holidays
December 21, 2021
Lynne Merk, PhD
0 Comments

As a season of giving and being of service to others, the holidays are a great opportunity for children to learn about empathy. Empathy is essential for forming healthy, fulfilling relationships. It involves both understanding and caring about another person’s point of view. 

By nature, some individuals have a stronger sense of empathy than others, but children are born with the capacity for empathy. There are actions caregivers can take to foster and nurture this trait. Here are some strategies and holiday-themed activities to help children build empathy: 

Tips for Teaching Empathy To Kids During the Holidays

Model empathy for your child and for others

Parents are a child’s first teachers, and one of the most effective ways to learn is through modeling. Try to point out your own empathy to your children.

Further, make caring for others a focus in your family. Emphasize to your children how much you want them to be kind. Be sure to notice and recognize their acts of generosity and caring along with other accomplishments. 

Discuss their holiday hopes

Show empathy for your child by discussing their hopes and feelings about the holidays. Ask about activities they are excited about and who they are looking forward to connecting with over the holidays (either virtually or in-person).

Incorporate empathy discussions into your holiday activities

After enjoying your favorite holiday book or movie, talk about how the characters demonstrated caring or missed opportunities to do so.

Teach gratitude

While shopping or running errands with your child, thank those who help you with your tasks and wish them happy holidays. Encourage children to write thank-you notes for gifts, but also for enjoyable times spent together. This helps them understand how it feels to be on the receiving end of kindness. 

Make a donation to a charity together

Help your child choose a charity they care about and make a donation together. Consider reviewing the Cincinnati Children’s Gift-in-Kind Wish List together, helping them choose a gift, and talk about how it might make a child who is in the hospital feel. 

Participate in community service activities together

Participating in community service activities with children is a nice way to build empathy. Community service activities that involve engaging “with” others rather than just doing “for” these individuals are especially helpful at building perspective. Look for masked, socially-distanced opportunities to volunteer in your community over the holiday break. You can also create holiday cards with your child and distribute them throughout your neighborhood or your local senior center.

While having empathy and compassion for others is beneficial, it can also be emotionally draining. It is important that caregivers also demonstrate the value of good self care. Bundle up and take a walk together or warm up with a cup of cocoa. Comment about how good it feels to also take care of ourselves. 

Related Articles

How Parents Can Help Picky Eaters Through the Holidays
How Parents Can Help Picky Eaters Through the Holidays
How to Build Family Traditions That Promote Well-Being
How to Build Family Traditions That Promote Well-Being
Holiday Travel With Kids: Tips To Be Prepared
Holiday Travel With Kids: Tips To Be Prepared
Gifts for Kids That Promote Health and Wellness
Gifts for Kids That Promote Health and Wellness
TAGS:
  • Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
  • holidays
  • Home

About the author: Lynne Merk, PhD

Lynne Merk, PhD, is the Director of Community Integrated Behavioral Health within the Division of Population Health at Cincinnati Children’s. Dr. Merk is also a psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology specializing in anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and helping families cope with medical illness.

Write A Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Comments Yet

Topics

  • Cancer and Blood Diseases
  • Child Development and Behavior
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Chronic Care Networks
  • Cincinnati Walks for Kids
  • Featured Faces
  • Fetal Conditions
  • Fitness and Nutrition
  • Food Allergies
  • Ghana 2012
  • Health Care Public Policy
  • Health Care Quality
  • Health Care Reform
  • Healthy Living
  • Heart Conditions
  • Hospital Operations
  • Learning and Growing
  • Nurses Week 2012
  • Patient Family Experience
  • Patient Flow
  • Patient Safety
  • Pin of the Week
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Share Your Story
  • Technology
  • The Young & Healthy Podcast
  • Uncategorized
  • Vaccines
  • Volunteerism
  • What's New
See All Topics
See Less Topics

Subscribe

Subscribe today to our family newsletter for tips, blog posts, podcasts and more.

Subscribe Now

Popular Posts

  • 6 Questions to Ask When Your Child Complains of Chest Pain 875 views

  • Lean, Purple Drank, Sizzurp: A Dangerous Teenage Drink 708 views

  • Stuttering In Young Kids: When To Be Concerned 522 views

  • How To Increase Calories In Your Underweight Child’s Diet 223 views

  • Should I Worry If My Child’s Chest Is Sunken? 221 views

  • Tips for Helping Babies Transition to Cow’s Milk 217 views

About

The Cincinnati Children’s blog features thoughts and perspectives from our experts on all things pediatric health. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn More »

Contact Us
  • 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
  • 1-513-636-4200 | 1-800-344-2462
  • TTY: 1-513-636-4900
  • socialmedia@cchmc.org
Connect With Us
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us

© 2009-2025 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center