One of the most powerful things you can do as a parent is teach empathy to children early. Research shows that empathy, which is the ability to emotionally understand how someone else is feeling, isn’t just a soft skill. It’s rooted in the biology of the brain, and it shapes how children relate to the world around them for the rest of their lives.

Is Empathy Hardwired in the Brain?

Yes, and science backs it up. Researchers have identified specialized cells called mirror neurons that activate when we observe another person experiencing an emotion, making us feel as if we are living that experience ourselves. This neurological wiring is why empathy can emerge so early in life.

As children grow in a secure, loving environment, empathy develops alongside other social-emotional milestones. For example, around six months of age, infants begin using social referencing, looking to a parent or caregiver to gauge how to respond to a new situation, an early sign of empathetic awareness taking root.

Why You Can’t Leave Empathy to Chance

While humans may be biologically predisposed toward empathy, it still needs to be actively cultivated to grow. At Stepping Stone School, we nurture empathy through age-appropriate activities and responsive, relationship-centered care.

Parents and caregivers play an equally important role at home. When you intentionally teach empathy to children through everyday moments, you’re building a foundation for kindness, healthy relationships, and emotional resilience.

5 Activities to Teach Empathy to Children at Home

1. Focus on Feelings

Name your own emotions openly and invite your child to do the same. Play guessing games based on facial expressions, and when your child experiences a strong emotion, help them label it: “It looks like you’re feeling frustrated right now.” Ask open-ended questions like “How do you think that person is feeling?” to build emotional vocabulary and perspective-taking skills.

2. Use Pretend Play to Practice Perspective-Taking

Role-playing scenarios give children a safe space to rehearse empathetic responses before facing real-life situations. During pretend play, introduce characters with problems, like a sad baby doll or a lonely toy, and ask your child to think about why the character feels that way and how they might help. This kind of imaginative practice is one of the most effective empathy activities for kids.

3. Identify Commonalities with Others

Research shows children are more likely to empathize with people they see as similar to themselves. In everyday situations, a waiting room, a park, a grocery store, help your child spot things they share with strangers: “Can you find three people with the same hair color as you?” These small exercises build human connection and reduce “us vs. them” thinking that limits compassion.

4. Practice Active Listening

True empathy requires truly hearing others. Model and practice active listening by asking your child to repeat back what they heard you say, then do the same for them. This reinforces that listening is about understanding, not just waiting for your turn to speak, a habit that will serve them throughout life.

5. Read Books About Empathy and Feelings

Children’s literature is one of the most powerful, low-pressure ways to explore emotions together. Great picks include:

• Baby Faces by DK Publishing
• Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson
• We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio

As you read, pause to ask questions like “How do you think this character is feeling right now?” to deepen emotional thinking and model empathetic curiosity.

Raising Compassionate Children: The Long Game

Learning how to teach empathy to children is not a one-time lesson, it’s an ongoing practice built through patient modeling, responsive relationships, and small intentional moments every day. When parents and caregivers consistently demonstrate empathy themselves, children internalize it as a core part of who they are.

The result: kids who grow up responding to the world around them with understanding, kindness, and genuine compassion.

Resources

Kim, S. (2021). Our Brains Are Wired for Empathy. Brain World Magazine. https://brainworldmagazine.com/brains-wired-empathy/

Krznaric, R. (2012). Six Habits of Highly Empathic People. Greater Good Magazine, UC Berkeley. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_habits_of_highly_empathic_people1

Lahey, J. (2014). Teaching Children Empathy. The New York Times. https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/teaching-children-empathy/

Lerner, C. & Parlakian, R. (2016). How to Help Your Child Develop Empathy. Zero to Three. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/5-how-to-help-your-child-develop-empathy

Morgan, L. (2006). Teaching Kindness and Empathy to Children. ParentMap. https://www.parentmap.com/article/teaching-kindness-and-empathy-to-children