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“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Any historical hero that has impacted our lives was once a kid, just like you and me. They had fears, they had doubts, and they experienced everyday difficulties.
Through Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, it’s proven that every child has the makings of a hero inside of them, such as bravery, compassion and helpfulness. By presenting a strong emotional connection between inspirational figures as children, like Amelia Earhart or Albert Einstein, and the three main characters, Xavier, Yadina and Brad, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum strives to show kids that they, too, can be heroes.
Our friends over at Kiddie Academy, an early learning institute with nearly 40 years experience in childhood education and community commitment, have mastered the ability to provide the guidance necessary to inspire curiosity and eagerness to learn amongst children.
Each month, Kiddie Academy celebrates critical character principles that we should be introducing to children in order to better their understanding of themselves and influence a more positive, compassionate and confident character. This month, we’re honoring feelings and their correlation to empathy.
Meet Xavier’s confident and adventurous younger sister, Yadina. Although Yadina is very extroverted (not a wallflower at all), she is only six-years-old. This means that she can be very honest with just about anyone, and sometimes even blunt! For example, Yadina dislikes meanness of any kind, and she will let anyone who is not being friendly to another, know exactly what she thinks of their behavior. When faced with conflict, Yadina is an expert at making others understand a situation from someone else’s perspective, which ultimately requires empathy, self-awareness and self-regulation.
What is empathy and how can we ensure that we are being empathetic with others to the best of our abilities?
Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings, thoughts and attitudes of others, even if we don’t necessarily feel the same way. Through the use of self-awareness, the conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires, and controlling behavior through self-regulation, we can achieve a more empathetic self and influence others in a positive way.
At Kiddie Academy, empathy is taught as part of their Character Education program. Kiddie Academy’s team of experts understands that empathy begins to develop in the very first years of life. It is most effectively taught through spontaneous interactions between children. Therefore, Kiddie Academy helps children identify with the feelings and emotions of others, encouraging comfort or action to make another child feel better.
Here’s 10 quick tips to raising empathetic children:
- Teach them about emotions
- Read and watch TV together
- After conflicts, discuss what everyone was feeling
- Let them see you resolve conflicts in your own life
- Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves
- Model respect for those who seem different
- Point out the impact of uncaring
- Focus on character
- Reduce your MEs and increase your WEs
- Ask, “How would you feel?”
Parents can schedule a tour today to learn how at Kiddie Academy nurtures and engages with children through Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, Technology Education, Health and Fitness, and Character Essentials.
For more wonderful learning experiences, tune into the series premiere of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum on PBS Kids November 11th.
Looking for relatable reads? Check out the article below by PBS on ‘How Media Can Build Empathy in Young Children!’ And also check out Kiddie Academy’s post ‘We Have Feelings’ where you will find some info on their Character Essentials curriculum and a wonderful list of age-appropriate books all about feelings.