Best ways to show empathy (Richard, Age 11)

Ep. 33 – Richard, Age 11: Best ways to show empathy | Turning caring into action

Richard wants to know how to show more empathy for other kids.

Would YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast? SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://drfriendtastic.com/submit/ 

(Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it’s not for emergency situations.)

For a TRANSCRIPT go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

- Which do you think is the hardest part of showing empathy: Paying attention, imagining the other person’s perspective, caring, or caring action? Why?

- Why do you think friends who are feeling upset often don’t want advice? What do you think they might want instead? What does Dr. Friendtastic mean when she says, “Unwanted advice can come across as criticism”? 

- How might showing empathy look different with a close friend versus someone you don’t know well?

- Why is it a good idea to say “you” rather than “I” when you’re empathizing with a friend? (Hint: Where do you want the focus to be?) How might feeling very emotional yourself get in the way of offering empathy for a friend?

- Why is it important to ask, “What can I do to help?”

- Dr. Friendtastic mentions a bunch of examples of small acts of kindness to show you care about someone. What are some small acts of kindness you’ve done to show your friends you care? 

Books mentioned in the podcast:

Growing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to making and Keeping Friends https://eileenkennedymoore.com/child-development-books/growing-friendships/

Growing Feelings: A Kids' Guide to Dealing with Emotions about Friends and Other Kids https://eileenkennedymoore.com/child-development-books/growing-feelings/

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