Teach Your Children Compassion

Most parents work at teaching their children how to behave, how to accomplish certain tasks, how to become independent beings, but very few teach lessons on compassion. Oh sure parents seem to pass on their religious beliefs, morals and that sort of thing, but compassion is deeper than a set of doctrines. Compassion is deeper than love maybe. It should reach beyond the family circle, beyond those we love. It should be seen in a look, feel the pain of another human suffering. If we could be consistent as parents in showing compassion in our every day life, our children would learn by example. If we never made fun of someone, felt compassion for the elderly driver going at a snails pace, understanding that they might be feeling vulnerable and frightened with no one to help them, I suspect we would see more children that would not be bullies in the classroom, less likely to make fun of others. The old adage of "children learn by what they see" is so true in regard to compassion. People are motivated by different reasons to be compassionate, some folks see it as part of their spiritual walk, others see it simply as part of humanity, seeing no lines to cross. Compassion is born of an awareness that we all just want the same thing in life, to be happy, to be loved, to be respected. Understanding that we all have the same basic needs. Teach your children that their is more happiness in being compassionate, than in being unkind.