Helping Your Child Develp Empathy And Bonding

HELPING YOUR CHILD DEVELOP EMPATHY AND BONDING

     Empathy is crucial in a child’s development.  Children that grow up
without empathy wind up disconnected from the world.  This can develop into
a dangerous pathology linked to juvenile murderers.  Most children that
murder are pretty much disconnected and feel nothing for anyone around
them.

     You can help your child develop empathy by purchasing a pet.  A pet is
good because it will teach a child to care and maybe come to love another
living creature.  A pet is something that you can share with your child.
You can walk a puppy in the park together and go shopping for puppy items
like food, accessories, and toys.  Signing up for puppy obedience is a good
way to spend quality time with your child and keep that parent-child bond
strong.  You and your child can volunteer at a local animal shelter and go
to fundraisers.  Your child can make friends with other kids that have pets
too.  You can both watch animal shows on TV and share that family that kids
need.

     All children need the sensory stimulation of touch.  Babies that are
touched regularly develop strong immune systems. They progress through their
developmental stages normally.  Maybe you didn’t touch as a rule in your
family.  The important thing is that if you gift your child with a pet, he
may become accustomed to cuddling.  I grew up in a no-touch zone.  My one
brief exposure to healing touch ended by age two.  I can remember my
father’s soothing heartbeat as I fell asleep on his chest and the sense of
love and security.  We can learn to bond, feel empathy, and heal through the
miracle of touch.

     By touching, we are stimulating our brains to produce certain
chemicals that can have beneficial effects.  Dr. Arthur Janov discussed one
particular chemical, Oxytoxin, at length in his book, “The Biology of
Love.”  Oxytocin is a soothing hormone produced in the brain that raises
serotonin levels and lowers aggression.  People who are engaged in long-term
relationships and have a steady support system produce high levels of
Oxytocin.  Scientific experiments that have been conducted with a rodent
population show that a particular rodent, the prairie vole, produces a
certain hormone that causes it to be nurturing, and monogamous with its
mate.  This hormone, injected into other rodents that showed poor parenting
skills, had some very positive results.  These disconnected rodents showed a
remarkable increase in parenting skills and they became kinder and more
nurturing to their mates.  This article expresses solely my opinion, doesn’t
represent any organization, and doesn’t offer medical or legal advice.  By
Julia Jankowski, M.Ed., Certified Addiction Professional, Certified Mental
Health Professional, Civil Competency Evaluator