The Virtue of Compassion

Goodness, Righteousness, Morality, Integrity, Dignity, Rectitude, Honor, Decency, Respectability, Nobility, Worthiness, Purity

In today's world, I can't imagine anything more important to teach our children than the virtue of compassion - the ability of a young person to place themselves in another's shoes, to feel their pain as though it were their own and understanding another's point of view. Although feeling the pain of another is important, the real determiner is whether we are willing to alleviate the suffering by acting upon it.

How do we as parents teach compassion? It all begins at birth. The parent must provide a secure home environment based upon unconditional love. I can not stress enough the importance of immersing your child in a world of love, kindness, and respect. This is one of the most critical elements in the foundation of early childhood.

But parents must 'walk the talk'. Children are constantly watching and imitating their parents in the development of their own behaviors. Remember... you are your child's first teacher and will likely be their last. Let's make sure the lessons you teach are the ones they will need in a very complicated world.

As your child moves into the adolescent and teen years, foster meaningful conversations about the lives of others, what it would be like to be in their shoes, and how people could act upon it. Then most important - do something as a family!

And finally... wouldn't it be wonderful if people used words such as these to describe your child - Goodness, Righteousness, Morality, Integrity, Dignity, Rectitude, Honor, Decency, Respectability, Nobility, Worthiness, Purity - the virtues of compassion!

J Richard Knapp Books

for children and teens

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