Developing empathy

 When Ferdy watches a film, he doesn't sit down and watch it; he has to stand in the characters' shoes and act out all the scenes as the film is happening. This can be a little tiring for the other audience members. When Ferdy finishes a book, he plans an elaborate game pretending to be lots of the protagonists (often the bad guys). Gil, of course, joins in all of these games (he plays the heroes).

Both Ferdy and Gil play a huge amount of make believe games and I wonder whether these games may be quite good lessons in developing empathy; they seem able to immerse themselves completely in the roles they are playing and feel what they imagine that the characters are feeling. It can sometimes be a little annoying when they won't come out of character ('Mummy, Justice is far too busy savin' Baby Boy and Floppy's lives to go to school') but such connection with other people's experiences, whether good or evil, can't be a bad way to understand empathy.

Our activity this Friday was to go to the National Trust's Peter Rabbit trail and meet (be) the characters. Ferdy has loved these books for a long time and Gil likes the stories now too. Ferdy read us Peter Rabbit in the morning, which I was pleased about as I don't enjoy reading the Beatrix Potter books at all! Despite their lovely illustrations, they are really awkward to read, although I'm sure many Beatrix Potter fans, including Ferdy, would disagree.

Our trail companions were Miss Tiggiwinkle, Squirrel Nutkin, Mr Jeremy Fisher, Mr McGregor and of course, the errant Peter Rabbit (Gil's favourite because he is cheeky), but much to Ferdy's disappointment, no Samual Whiskers who is vile and naughty and is Ferdy's favourite character. We learnt lots of good facts like that turnips were thrown at unpopular Romans, and that hedgehogs only breathe once or twice a minute whilst hibernating.

Back at home, Ferdy wrote a letter from Samual Whiskers to Tom Kitten. We have enjoyed the letter writing theme this term - also a great way to practise a bit of empathy. And Gil decided to write a card for Billy whose back is hurting and his fishing friend has died and Gil thought that he would be sad.

I sometimes worry that we aren't teaching our kids enough, or that we're focussing too much on work that they aren't that keen on doing, but if a capacity to empathise and having compassion for others, is something that my kids grow up with, it will feel like we maybe got something right! Even if it does mean that we have to cobble together Avengers costumes most Saturday mornings...

Justice from The Avengers