Imagine yourself in a conflict with a close friend. You think you are right, and then you pause, questioning yourself, “How would this appear to them?” The tension eventually shifts; you start to realize their anger, along with their point of view and, to some extent, their emotions.
That slight change in thinking can be referred to as perspective-taking. Once adopted, it can change the way we approach conversations and relationships. Speaking of which, perspective-taking is not only a social skill, but it is the basis of empathy, effective communication, and relationships.
In the classroom, children acquire this understanding through role-playing, storytelling, and reflective discussions. These early lessons carry through into life and influence the manner in which your kids relate to others at home, with friends, and later in the workplace.
Curious to explore more?
Read on, as we discuss how developing perspective-taking might alter communication and relationship-building with others in a kid’s daily life.
When a child thinks that their emotions are properly comprehended, trust is enhanced.
In this context, a teacher or parent can simply acknowledge how they are feeling by saying something like, “I understand that you are nervous about the test.”
Gradually, your child comes to understand that empathy works both ways: the more they give, the more others also give back to them. As a result, it fosters communities in classrooms where learners encourage one another.
Moreover, at home, it encourages relationships where your child is free to express themselves. Hence, through perspective taking, trust and compassion become a natural part of how your child relates to other people.
Kids tend to listen with the idea of answering as soon as possible, but proper perspective-taking requires listening to understand. You can encourage your child to express themselves by modeling this behavior.
For example, teach them to ask open-ended questions such as, “How did that feel to you?” and to reflect on what they heard, like, “It sounds like you were disappointed when that happened.”
In this type of reflective listening, children learn to appreciate the opinion of another person. Therefore, it places them in a position where they feel listened to and learn how to give that same sense of listening to others.
Role-playing is one of the most effective ways to teach empathy, as children enjoy being creative and engaging in play. For example, in the classroom, students can be asked to enact playground disagreements or situations from a story and then discuss how each character felt and why.
Alternatively, at home, you can role-play with your child: have them pretend to be their friend who was not chosen to play on the team. Later, make them think “How would they feel?” These activities will enable your child to understand other people's emotions.
Overall, when practiced in safe, play situations, kids learn to apply this perspective-taking skill in their real-life friendships and family relationships.
Perspective-taking is a great concept that can be applied through writing exercises. In school, the teacher can ask students to draft a letter from the perspective of one of the characters in a book.
That said, at home, you can ask your child to put themselves in the position of the person reading and ask, “Suppose you wrote this note to your friend, what do you think they will think of it? How will they feel, reading it?”
This practice makes your kid more aware, and clarity is created in communication through a more empathetic manner. As a result, your child will learn to avoid confusion and communicate so that words can be conveyed clearly instead of being misleading.
Children cannot put themselves into the perspective of others before they have learned to understand their own emotions. However, teachers can help kids recognize emotions such as happiness, anger, or sadness by using feeling charts, telling stories, or discussing a topic in a circle.
At home, parents can reinforce this by labeling emotions as they occur: “I notice you are feeling frustrated because the game has not gone your way.” This way, as your child learns how to recognize and name their own emotions, it teaches them how to recognize and respect the emotions of others.
It develops a foundation that is an important early step toward perspective-taking and empathy.
When children describe things, they often overlook what the listeners may already know. For this reason, teaching them to measure their audience is a key aspect of perspective-taking.
For instance, in the classroom, a teacher might ask students to describe their math procedure to a person who had never seen the problem before. Or, at home, you may say, “Grandma does not know that game - how could you explain it nicely?”
These little exercises will teach your kid how to meet people at their level, making everyday interactions more considerate.
Disputes are unavoidable, whether among siblings, friends, or classmates. However, perspective-taking assists in converting these instances into chances for growth.
In this regard, children can be taught to pause and inquire as to why they feel this way, instead of being put in a defensive mode. You can even demonstrate it to your children when they disagree with each other, saying: “Now, let us consider how your brother perceived that situation.”
Supriyo Khan
Supriyo Khan
Supriyo Khan
Supriyo Khan
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