Why Teaching Empathy Matters – And How to Help Children Grow It

In today’s fast-paced world, empathy is more important than ever. It’s the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person—and it plays a vital role in building strong friendships, resolving conflicts, and creating inclusive, compassionate communities. That’s why teaching empathy is a key focus of social and emotional learning and an essential part of the Get GRIT Program.

Empathy helps children connect with others, show kindness, and navigate social situations with care and respect. It builds the foundation for respectful communication, reduces bullying behaviours, and encourages a culture where everyone feels seen and valued. Children who learn to empathise are more likely to stand up for others, offer help when someone is hurting, and resolve disagreements in thoughtful, respectful ways.

How the Get GRIT Program Teaches Empathy

The Get GRIT Program explicitly teaches empathy by guiding students to:

• Identify and name their own feelings.

• Recognise how others might be feeling through facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.

• Listen actively and reflectively to others’ experiences.

• Take another person’s perspective and imagine how they might feel in a situation.

• Use kind and caring actions to support others.

These skills are woven into engaging activities, stories, and discussions that help children not just understand empathy, but practise it every day.

Tips for Developing Empathy at Home and School

Here are a few ways parents, educators, and caregivers can support empathy-building in children:

1. Model empathetic behaviour. Children learn by watching adults. Show care, listen closely, and speak kindly, even during challenging moments.

2. Talk about feelings. Use everyday situations to ask questions like, “How do you think they’re feeling?” or “What would you do to help?”

3. Use literature and stories. Books are a great way to explore different perspectives. Pause during reading to reflect on characters’ emotions and actions.

4. Encourage helping behaviours. Point out small acts of kindness and praise children when they show care or offer support to someone else.

5. Teach reflective listening. Help children practise listening without interrupting, and then repeating what they heard to show understanding.

6. Create inclusive environments. Celebrate differences and encourage children to learn about other cultures, experiences, and perspectives.

Empathy doesn’t always come naturally—but it can be taught, nurtured, and strengthened over time. Through social and emotional learning and the structured support of the Get GRIT Program, children develop the empathy they need to thrive in their relationships, their learning, and their communities.

Let’s raise a generation that not only understands how others feel—but cares enough to make a difference.