Would you like to see this in your child’s school?
Our children learn a lot during their formative school years which is why it’s so important that they are learning all the right things.
Over the last few years how our children are taught has change with more of a focus on learning through play and mindfulness than there was while I was at school.
I personally welcome this and think we could do with even a bit more which is why I think that latest lesson at Danish schools needs to be brought to Ireland.
Schools in Denmark have begun teaching empathy to students from the age of six.
The mandatory classes help to teach children kindness and understanding with their classmates, teachers and family when at home.
The classes also aim to reduce competitiveness among young children which can lead to resentfulness and even bullying.
Denmark is ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world so I definitely think we can take a tip or two from them when it comes to raising happy and well rounded children.
While the introduction of classes like yoga, meditation and positive thinking might be fairly new to Ireland, empathy lessons are anything but new to Denmark.
In fact mandatory empathy lessons were first introduced in Denmark over twenty years ago in 1993.
I think the aspect of reducing competitiveness is a particularly interesting one as it’s a trap even parents can fall into.
With many teens and preteens using social media many of them get caught up on trying to look like they have the coolest and most perfect life. This often leads to many young people suffering from low self esteem.
Combatting this at the source and getting children to focus on the positives in not just themselves but other people will help them later on in life not to judge others and not to compare themselves to others either.
