Three ways practicing empathy can benefit you … and the world

Back in November, we wrote about several key ways to cultivate empathy with your children  and in your family. In that article, we reviewed ways to build a culture of empathy and acceptance in your own home.

Empathy is the ability to connect emotionally with others; to see things from their point of view and to imagine how they might feel. Simply approaching conflict from an empathetic stance increases the likelihood of a positive outcome for all parties involved. Many people would argue that empathy is at the heart of being human. However, all it takes is one glance at the news headlines to see that our society is seriously empathy deprived.

Why as a culture are we struggling too much to place significant value on empathy?

Some researchers argue that people today are too self-focused to consider another person’s point of view. But even in a “what’s in it for me” world you can benefit from being empathic.

In this article, we set out to prove that there are many health benefits to practicing empathy – for both the giver and the receiver!

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(Home) School’s out for Summer: Strategies for a Successful Transition

This year, the transition into summer break is going to look very different. Children and teens are missing the wind down of the academic year that is marked by notable school events such as field day, end of year parties, prom, and moving up ceremonies or graduations. In the past, these events signaled the ending of one chapter and the beginning of summer break. In my own experience with my first grader, the end of the school year just this week lacked any pomp and circumstance at all. The last day of distance learning was similar in format to that of the previous three months; from a zoom call in the morning to google classroom assignments in the afternoon. To make matters more complicated for parents, camp and summer vacation plans may have been canceled, rendering the weeks ahead with fewer opportunities for external structure and pleasant distraction. Without the natural transitions that the end of the academic year provide, parents might find themselves having a difficult time helping their child switch modes from school to summer. Here are some tips to help keep your child on track so that Summer 2020 can be as rewarding as possible for everyone in the family.

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