Developing Empathy in Your Young Child Has Lasting Benefits

When you think of “empathy,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? For many of us, we relate it to kindness and understanding. To be kind, we need to have traits that allow us to be empathetic, which really is about being able to comprehend and relate to what another person is feeling from their perspective and respond with care.

Helping your child develop empathy is a key factor in their development of social-emotional intelligence, and will serve them well as they grow and mature. Some of the benefits of developing empathy at an early age are:

• Children who are empathetic are more compassionate, kind and tolerant.

• Empathy helps children easily develop friendships and keep them.

• Children with higher levels of empathy are better listeners and communicators, achieve more academic and career success, and develop strong leadership skills.

Understanding Empathy:
There are three different kinds of empathy, also sometimes described as processes or components.

• Cognitive empathy: This is the ability to see and identify other people’s emotions.

• Emotional empathy: This refers to a deep connection with another person such as when their own feelings mirror the feelings of another person.

• Compassionate empathy: This kind of empathy encompasses the cognitive and emotional processes and includes the response of feeling the need to help the other person.

While some people are born predisposed to naturally have and show more empathy, everyone can learn to be more empathetic and continue to work at it throughout their life.

What You Can Do to Help Foster Empathy in Your Child:

• Create a strong parent/family bond by providing constant, loving care in a respectful and nurturing environment.

• Share your vulnerability and emotions with your child.

• Help your child understand that they are loved and are an important part of your family and their community.

• Teach your child to be kind to themselves.

• Assist your child in recognizing and naming their emotions so that they can more accurately communicate their feelings with you and understand those of others.

• Model good empathetic behaviors at home such as teaching children about kindness and understanding, speak of others with respect even when your children may not be actively listening, and find ways for your family to take care of others in your community through volunteering or community activities.

More information:

• Videos for Kids About Empathy from Kid World Citizen

• Well-Being in Infants and Children

• Part 1 of 3 in a series about Empathy for Children from Psychology Today

Tips for Obtaining and Keeping Your Healthy Resolutions

At the end of last year, the New England Journal of Medicine announced that by 2030 at least 25 percent of Americans would be considered severely obese. This study included more than 6 million Americans, and the findings showed disparities across states and subgroups. What’s frightening is that the study found that 50 percent of the population in 29 states, mostly in the South and Midwest, will be considered obese.

If one of your resolutions for the new year is to adopt a healthier lifestyle, your family can benefit from your example AND help you achieve your goal! Creating healthier habits for the whole family will make it easier for you to stick to yours.

Five Tips to Help You Get and Stay Healthy:
1. Keep your goals simple. Don’t introduce a new eating plan, cut out food groups and start a new exercise program all at once. Make changes that can last. For instance, make a healthy eating plan and tackle it week by week:

• Clean out your refrigerator and pantry by eliminating highly processed foods, sweets and other junk food.

• Write down a daily meal plan that incorporates fresh foods, low sugars and no processed meats or foods.

• Shop at local farmers markets or start in your grocery’s fresh produce aisle to add more vegetables to your meals.

• Other small steps are to cut juice allowance in half, reduce cheese, switch to whole grain products and low-fat or skim milk.

• Concentrate on your portion sizes during meals and make sure that your child’s portions are not too large. Also, before serving seconds, have your child wait for 20 minutes while their stomach communicates with their brain so that they can better evaluate if they are still hungry or not.

• Choose your language carefully in front of your children and don’t use the word “diet.” Explain that you want the family to be healthy and that it starts by eating nutritious foods.

2. Increase physical activity time with the family.

• Make small changes such as suggesting a family walk before or after dinner, starting out with a short walk and increasing it to a half hour minimum.

• Instead of plopping down in front of the TV after school and work, suggest a quick game of chase, jump rope, rolling a ball back and forth or whatever your child likes to do right now. Not only will it increase your physical activity, but it promotes bonding time.

• Can you incorporate more public transportation and walking in your day?

3. Find your cheering squad! Change can be hard. It may have taken you years to create unhealthy habits so don’t expect that it will only take you weeks to create healthier ones.

4. Don’t let negative self-talk or a stumble interfere with your goal. Look at a relapse of a bad habit as a learning experience. Think about what may have triggered it and how you can deal with it in the future.

5. Keep trying.

More Information:

• Healthy Eating

• Eating Better (for children and families)

• Daily Tips to Help Keep Your Family Active

Finding Child Care for Children with Special Needs

According to a recent National Center for Education Statistics report, more families with children who have special needs are seeking child care and preschool options for their children. The number of special-needs children ages three- to five-years-old who have been helped under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has nearly doubled in the last two decades.

Parents can choose to send their child to a traditional child care program or one that specializes in working with children with special needs and disabilities. It’s important to know that child care programs cannot refuse admission of a child to its program because of a disability. The program is required to evaluate the child’s needs and determine if and what accommodations can be made for that specific child. Then parents can determine if that program will benefit their child.

When looking for child care, all parents have the same questions: How do I start my search? What questions do I ask? Why is the quality of a program important? Prior blogs have spoken to the importance of finding high-quality care and learning programs and which questions are important to ask during your search. Below you will find information and resources specifically for helping families with special needs children find a child care program.

How Do You Find High-Quality Child Care Programs for a Special Needs Child?

• Contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency. For help locating your local agency, contact Child Care Aware (1-800-424-2246).

• Call the state agency or agencies responsible for children with special needs. Ask for local contacts.

• Contact your local school district and local early intervention program for resources and help.

• Ask other families.

• Contact other national/state/local organizations such as Easter Seals (www.easterseals.com), whose members provide services to children with special needs.

What to Look For & Questions to Ask:

• Is the physical space (inside and outside), materials and equipment set-up where it is accessible for my child? How can it be adapted to fit my child’s needs?

• What is the adult involvement in peer interactions?

• How will the program support my child’s interests and actively engage them in individual and social play activities?

• What can we expect from the teacher when it comes to conflict resolution?

• How will the teacher include my child and make them feel a part of the community? Will group activities be adapted so my child can participate?

• Are the teachers qualified for special-needs education?

• Is there a space for my child to have therapy work if needed?

More information:

• Child Care Aware

• Parent to Parent of Georgia

Babies Are Born to Learn. You Are Their Teacher.

Babies begin learning through their senses and every experience as soon as they are born, and parents play the most important role in this process. Your child’s development depends on both the traits they were born with and how they are nurtured. For instance, when your baby cries and you respond to their needs, you are letting them know that they are loved and are promoting a strong bond and healthy brain development.

The first five years of a child’s life are the years when the brain develops the most. The experiences a child has during this time will shape the architecture of their brain and build the connections that allow them to develop lifelong skills like problem-solving, communication, and self-control, which feeds into all future learnings and life-successes.

Your job as their teacher is to help them adjust to their new world by making them feel safe and secure and providing them with loving opportunities for play and learning. They will model their actions based on you.

The Best Way to Support Your Infant and Toddler’s Cognitive Development Is:

• Provide responsive, loving care.

• Infuse language into your child’s life through reading books, singing songs, and talking to your child every day.

• Play with your child.

Ideas for Encouraging Cognitive Development:

Babies

• Play with rattles, bells, and other toys that make noise.

• Read books, sing songs, and talk, talk, talk.

• Place your baby on their stomach and put toys around them to help them move their hands and body.

• Provide toys that your baby can hold and stack.

• Play peek-a-boo using your hand or baby’s blanket.

• Teach cause and effect by helping them stack blocks then knocking them down.

Toddlers

• Play musical games or finger plays like Hokey Pokey or The Wheels on the Bus.

• Make a game out of simple directions: Pick up your ball and put it in the basket.

• Begin naming shapes and colors, and ask your child to identify them by pointing.

• Go on a toy scavenger hunt! Hide your toddler’s toy and have them find them.

• Play with everyday household items: pots, lids, spoons, measuring cups, brooms, etc.

• Provide your toddler with options for toys or play and let them take the lead.

More information:

• Council for Professional Recognition

• Zero to Three: Brain Development

• Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS)

Don’t Become a Couch Potato Just Because It Is Cold Outside

The weather outside this month isn’t always the most inviting for play time or exercising but logging in some activity time outdoors is beneficial for your health, and that of your child’s. Research shows that regular physical activity during the colder months can build your immue system and support positive mental health. Additionally, more children and teens are overweight than ever before. Making physical activity a part of their daily life needs to start young, be year-round and incorporate some outdoor time each day.

There are other benefits to incorporating outdoor exercise and activities into your family’s routine each day.

• Being outside in nature is a natural de-stresser and has been seen to lower blood pressure as well as reduce feelings of anxiousness and depression.

• Outdoor activity may have a protective effect on the eyes and reduce the risk of developing nearsightedness in children.

• Children diagnosed with ADHD have been found to concentrate better after just 20 minutes outside.

• Studies show that children burn more calories outdoors, build muscles and bones, and build up their vitamin D.

• Being outside improves sensory skills, especially in toddlers.

“Go Outside” Ideas for the Family

• Take a walk at lunchtime or before dinner.

• Kick a soccer ball back and forth.

• Gather wood and make a campfire.

• Go on a leaf scavenger hunt.

• Plan a weekend trip to a corn maze, pick apples, or visit your local botanical gardens.

• Go for a jog and have your children run, bike, skate with you or push them in a stroller.

• Collect pinecones and rocks.

• Visit your local park!

• Walk the dog.

More Information:

• Harvard Health Blog

• Seattle Children’s Hospital

• Early Childhood Alliance

Watch Out! The Germs Are Coming!

If your household has managed to stay healthy thus far into autumn, then congratulations! Usually, cooler weather brings on the beginning of the cold season which means you are probably beginning to hear more sniffling and coughing from many of your child’s friends. Since the rotavirus is particularly dreadful beginning in November, it is likely you may even know of a few children who have already had the stomach bug.

 It’s important to know that not all germs are bad. However, the ones that make us sick spread more easily during the colder months since the air is drier and because we tend to spend more time inside together. If your child attends a child care program or preschool, the likelihood of them getting a cold in the very near future is high even if the program is doing its best to stay germ free.

How Can You Help Your Family Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season?

• Wash your hands well with soap and warm water frequently, and teach your children how to scrub their hands too!

• Keep your hands away from your face – especially your mouth, nose and eyes – as that is the easiest way to carry germs into your body.

• Cover your cough. Show your children how to cough into their elbow instead of their hands.

• Take the whole family to get the flu shot. Better a small ouchie from the shot than the flu!

• Help boost your family’s immunity through a healthy diet including more leafy greens, more fresh fruits and vegetables with vitamins C and D, and less sugar.

• For babies, breastfeeding is great for your little one thanks to the immunity enhancing antibodies and white blood cells found in breast milk.

• Make sure everyone is getting plenty of sleep.

 What Should Your Child Care Center Do To Help Prevent Sickness?

• Wash hands! Many programs will request that children wash their hands upon arrival and all through the day. (Be sure to ask your child to wash their hands before they leave for home and then again when you arrive home.)

• Make sure that the classroom surfaces and toys are being disinfected regularly. This includes door knobs, countertops, chairs and tables, bathrooms, and frequently used shared materials.

• Help teach all of the young ones how to properly cover their mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, either with a tissue or their elbow. Then, make sure that hands are washed.

• Communicate with parents about illnesses in the school.

• Be firm when it comes to sick policies. If a child or staff member is sick, the best place for them is at home.

When Should You Keep Your Child Home From School?

• If your child is running a temperature over 100.4 degrees, then they should stay home as it means that they are fighting an infection and are contagious.

• A child who is vomiting or has diarrhea should not go to school.

• A persistent cough, especially paired with a sore throat, irregular breathing or chest pain, could be the sign of a more serious illness.

• It’s best to keep your child home 24-48 hours after their symptoms have stopped to be sure that they are no longer contagious.

More information:

• Motherly

• HealthyChildren.org

• Hand Washing Songs