How to develop empathy for animals in children.

Several strategies for getting little ones to connect emotionally with other life forms.

Empathy is the capacity we have to put ourselves in the other person's or being's place.We are able to understand them and know how they feel. It has a very important function, and that is that, thanks to it, we can relate better with others and thus favor social relationships.

Showing empathy is not only beneficial for the people around us, but also for ourselves, as it helps us in our adaptation to the environment and emotional development. That is why we can say that it is the basis of many other skills, such as social skills, emotional intelligence, etc.

Although human beings are born with the ability to be empathetic, this is a quality that develops as we grow. That is why people close to the child's environment are essential for the development of empathy to take place properly. adequately.

Is it important to have empathy towards animals?

We all agree that children should develop a good empathy with their peers, but nevertheless many people do not show interest in the relationship that children have with animals. the relationship that children have with animals.. However, we should ask ourselves if connecting emotionally with other living beings is also beneficial for child development, since there are studies that have observed the relationship between violence and animal abuse, such as Ascione (1997-1998), who observed significant scores in his studies on the relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse.

Children are naturally attracted to animals, this is called biophilia; however, education and environment make the behavior of children towards other species one way or another; it can be respectful, indifferent or aggressive. On the other hand, there are studies that lead us to think that instilling respect and relationship with animals helps us to maintain positive relationships with others. Authors such as Serpell (1999) state that the presence of animals encourages in us the attitude of attention, care, companionship, security, comfort and fun.

What is clear is that the child-animal relationship creates an opportunity for emotional expression. an opportunity for emotional expression without any negative consequences.

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Do you want to foster empathy for animals in your children?

If you like animals and want to share your home with them, fine, but it is not necessary to have a pet for your children to develop a love for them. And it is not enough to have them at home, you must teach them. The simple fact of having them at home does not guarantee that they will be cared for by your children. If you are interested you can follow these steps:

1. Be their role model

This is the most important thing. Always remember that children have a great capacity to learn everything that happens in their day to day life. You have to be their role model in this as in all the important things in life. Just as I see you treat the animals, they will do the same.. Speak nicely in their presence, don't yell at or punish the animals. Your children must see that you respect them.

2. Read animal stories

Encouraging children to read is very beneficial.If we use books about animals, we will achieve two valuable goals: they will read and learn about them. It is important to choose the book that fits their age and share the moment with them. Reading the book together is important, because it can raise many questions that you need to be able to answer.

Here are some examples of books: Animal Rescue (Patrick George), Save the Animals (Frances Barry), Just One Thing (Celeste Sanchez Demare).

3. Visit a shelter near you

You probably have animal shelters near you. You can make an appointment for the little ones to see the shelter and observe how abandoned animals live. You can also go to talks given by the shelters, or you can ask them to explain to you how the animals live.You can also go to talks offered by the shelters, or propose that they explain to your children some topics in which you think they have more doubts.

4. Share talks with them

The animal world is vast and has many things to know.. Choose a specific topic to start a conversation with them. The needs of pets, abandonment, how shelters help, zoos ....etc . If there are topics that you do not know, it is important that you get information beforehand in order to be able to answer their questions.