[Aditya]

How (and Why) to Teach Kids to Care

Raising caring kids is a goal most parents strive for — and one that's becoming increasingly challenging given the violence, in media and real life that children are inevitably exposed to these days. There is some good news, though. While researchers once believed that kids had to learn to care, it seems they may possess this ability even as toddlers.

One study found that children as young as 21 months show signs of empathy when their parents are upset (crying or arguing).

Another study, this one published in the American Psychological Association's (APA) Developmental Psychology journal, found that even young children who are aggressive and disruptive show "concern for the welfare of others."

A caring heart

However, the startling finding is that this concern can decrease as children reach school age. What has the potential to affect a child's caring for the better? Warm and supportive parenting. As the study's authors pointed out, negative parenting can have the opposite effect.

"Our results … show important links between parenting style and children's prosocial development. … The present results clearly suggest that mothers who are overly strict and harshly punitive, who do not tend to reason or establish reasonable and consistent rules, and who strongly show their anger or disappointment with their children are likely to impede their children's prosocial development," reads the study.

Fortunately, as a parent you don't have to just sit back and hope that your child turns out to be a compassionate, caring individual who shows concern for the welfare of others. You can take the following steps to actively ensure that your child grows into a caring adult.