BUILD Empathy In Toddlers, WITH These Scientifically-Proven Techniques!

The Harvard chart on brain development below illustrates why we should begin intentionally guiding children's emotional development early in life. It also gives us an idea of how to proceed.

First through sensory learning, then on to language and eventually to reasoning and other higher-level functions.

It's incredible to see how this all starts at birth. Of course, emotional learning continues throughout the lifespan, but neglecting to build a strong foundation early can lead to serious problems later.

At early childhood rocks, nonprofit organization, we believe that all parents, teachers, grandparents and caregivers of young children should have access to the scientifically-proven techniques that early childhood scholars talk about and access should be free and widely available to the public.

Here are some concrete things you can do with young children during their first few years of life in order to build a strong, resilient foundation.

Identifying Feelings

First, teach them words for their own feelings. Then start discussing your feelings, and later, move on to the feelings of others.

Serve and return

This is how babies and very young children learn to communicate empathetically. A word, a gesture, or a look is served by one party, and it's returned by the other.

Through serve-and-return, babies learn that communication is worth the effort and what sparks interest in others. Watch this short Harvard video that explains how.

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Laptime is Interactional reading with young children. It's time spent reading or talking about emotions. It's time spent together, looking at books or magazines, reading and speculating how characters, ourselves, or others in the world might feel. Click here to learn more about laptime.

PS I Love You, Problem-Solving Institutes 0-3 is available now to our community members for FREE! Learn simple techniques to support children's playtime and set boundaries without blame or shame.

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Nanci J Bradley is an early childhood and family educator, author, teacher, family aerobics instructor, and all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, healthy eating, lifelong learning, and most of all, PLAY! She studied early childhood ed at Triton College and received her BS in education in 1986 from NIU. She received her MA in human development from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison WI.