Insegnare ai bambini la gentilezza, la compassione e l'empatia con i cani

Incoraggiare l’empatia e la compassione significa essere un modello, correggere comportamenti inappropriati, essere coerenti e rinforzare positivamente il comportamento.

Indice

• Educare i bambini alla compassione e alla sicurezza degli animali domestici
• Approcci per incoraggiare l’empatia e la compassione
  • Sii un modello
  • Rafforzare il comportamento positivo
  • Correggere delicatamente il comportamento inappropriato
  • Sii coerente
• Scegli i media che presentano i comportamenti desiderati
• FAQ

Educare i bambini alla compassione e alla sicurezza degli animali domestici

The kids are back to school and that means more learning and growth for all. One subject that doesn’t get enough time in the classroom is compassion, both for fellow humans and for pets and other animals in our lives. We cares deeply about the care and safety of all animals. That’s why we’ve put together these thoughts about how to bring extra learning into the family, taking the time to learn and teach about compassion and safety for the animals (and people) we encounter.

When you own a pet, the responsibility of teaching and learning goes both ways between children and pets. For example, children learn how to feed and care for furry friends and, in turn, what it means to care for another living being outside themselves. Realizing that others have feelings, and that our actions impact those feelings, is the first step. That’s called empathy–the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

Approcci per incoraggiare l’empatia e la compassione

Like many social skills, there is a spectrum of empathy and compassion. Not everyone is born with a lot, while others have it in spades without even trying. You can probably think of the people in your life with loads of empathy. And hopefully, you can have compassion for those that don’t. Thankfully, empathy can be taught in a variety of ways.

Non sorprende che insegnare e incoraggiare con successo l’empatia e la compassione utilizzi alcune delle stesse tecniche che potresti aver usato per insegnare al tuo cane o gatto come vuoi che si comporti. Ciò include essere un buon modello, correggere positivamente comportamenti inappropriati, essere coerenti e scegliere selettivamente esempi che rinforzano i comportamenti desiderati.

Sii un modello

Even when we’re not in ‘teacher mode’ and we don’t even think they are paying attention, children are learning from our behavior. Modeling the behavior you desire in them is perhaps the most important way to encourage empathy and compassion. We can be positive models for children in simple ways. Taking spiders, flies and bees outside instead of killing them is one example. Giving space, talking kindly, helping or gently petting an injured or shy animal is another. This encourages kindness while being mindful of the animal’s personality and abilities. Many children will be able to generalize and apply this approach to interacting with humans, such as a classmate with a broken arm or someone who uses a wheelchair.

Rafforzare il comportamento positivo

Just as we might give a dog a treat when she sits on command, we must notice and praise children when they are doing the behavior we desire. That can come in the form of direct verbal praise in the moment, “I notice how sweet and gentle you’re being with Mitsy,” or “Wow, you were so compassionate when you checked Mitten’s paw.”

I bambini possono anche essere ricompensati con più tempo e attenzione con un animale, un amico o un adulto quando mostrano compassione ed empatia per gli animali. La maggior parte dei bambini risponde bene all’attenzione positiva degli altri ed è disposta a ripetere quegli stessi comportamenti, senza nemmeno pensarci.

Correggere delicatamente il comportamento inappropriato

Remembering that everyone’s empathy and compassion fall on a spectrum, that means that some children (and adults) may not be able to learn or generalize from role models. Those individuals might need our help with gentle correction. Just like training an animal, gentle correction needs to be pretty immediate, depending on the age of individual, to be effective.

Preschoolers and kinders need correction within a few minutes or they won’t remember what happened. While safety of the animals is paramount, the time to correction can increase proportionately with age. Often, gentle correction with middle and high schoolers is best done in private later the same day when time allows for deeper discussion and without distractions.

As you might have guessed, abrupt, shaming or correction that is too firm may not achieve the desired behavior. Some children respond to criticism that isn’t constructive in defensive ways. That means they might ignore your correction on purpose next time, or even act out negatively to get more of your attention, even if its your negative response. Be sure your response is calm, measured and deliberate. Take a break if needed to make sure you’re approaching the child with compassion and remembering that sometimes they can’t already know some of the things we take for granted.

Sii coerente

The developing brains of children (and animals) try to categorize the world, making observations and then rules about the way the world works. For example, when I wake up in the morning, I get dressed, make my bed, eat breakfast, wash my face and brush my teeth. If every morning is different for a child, they won’t build the connections between neurons in the brain that help them internalize, and automate, that routine. Being consistent, as a role model and with gentle correction, is very important to help children. If you are only gentle with animals sometimes, or their bad behavior goes without correction half the time, the nerve cells in their brain tell them that sometimes its okay to hit an animal when you’re feeling mad.

Prenditi una pausa se ne hai bisogno per essere un buon modello. Nella tua fitta agenda, trova il tempo per parlare e correggere comportamenti inappropriati. E sii consapevole dei potenziali precedenti che potresti creare se non sei coerente nelle tue risposte.

Scegli i media che presentano i comportamenti desiderati

We won’t delve in to the heated debate here about whether or not video games and television shows effect empathy and compassion. But there is evidence that violence toward animals (and humans) in these and other forms of media can desensitize children, especially very young children who are still learning to differentiate between fantasy versus reality and ‘right’ versus ‘wrong.’

FAQ