Hi friends!
As a therapist and teacher team, we know how crucial perspective-taking is for children's social and emotional growth. 🧠 👀🥰
Here are a handful of simple, effective ways to nurture this skill at home:
- Play "Walk in Their Shoes": Encourage your child to imagine how others might feel in different situations. Ask, "How do you think your friend felt when...?" Remembering to emphasize that not everyone feels the same way about the same situation. While one person might be so excited to play outside on a playground, another person may feel anxious about playing outside on a playground or fearful of the height of the slide, or angry about how hot the sun feels on their skin, etc. “We are all different, and isn’t that cool!” 👟👍
- Read Stories Together: Books are windows into other lives. Discuss characters' feelings and motivations as you read, perhaps comparing and contrasting how the character felt about a situation compared to how you or your child may feel if put in the same situation. 📚
- Practice Active Listening: Teach your child to truly hear others by repeating back what they've heard and asking questions. This can be turned into a game such as “telephone” or “repeat after me” to infuse play into practicing this skill. ☎️
- Use "I Wonder" Statements: Model curiosity about others' thoughts and feelings. "I wonder why your sister seems upset today?" 🤔
These small steps can make a big difference in your child's ability to understand and connect with others.
Want to make perspective-taking fun and hands-on? 👏 Check out our new 🚀Space-themed Sensory Kit🧑🚀, designed to explore emotions and viewpoints in an engaging way.
Together, we can help our children build stronger, more empathetic relationships through this important skill! 💕
Warmly,
Abbie & Emily 🙂