Students learn empathy from a baby

By Ken Johnston
Editor

What can a baby teach kids in grade three? The answer is a great deal, especially how to be empathetic.
Empathy is the ability to identify with another person’s feelings. The ability to see and feel things as others see and feel them is central to competent parenting and successful social relationships in all stages of life.That is what the Roots of Empathy (ROE) program is all about.
In its second year at Riverview Elementary School in Rainy River, ROE instructor Gabe Langlais has been visiting with the grade three class there since November. She attends class three times per month; twice without a baby and the third time the class gets to visit with baby Belle Holmes and her mom Lisa.
Utilizing different themes the children track the growth and development of the baby from November to June. “We are now talking about caring for the baby and its growth since November,” said Langlais.
Last Thursday Belle and her mom visited the classroom. The students welcomed her with a song that was sang gently as not to frighten Belle.
They then all sat in a circle and talked about Belle’s growth. Kids also asked questions about teething and crawling.
Langlais also explained how Belle learns through touching and feeling.
Mom, Lisa Holmes, explained how she nurtures Belle keeping her happy. “I give her medicine for her gums now that she is teething.” Mom also showed the kids all the different things that she carries in her “baby bag” when she takes Belle out.
“The kids really notice the changes from month to month in Belle,” said Langlais. “At the other two visits (without Belle) we talk about those changes and then in the third one the kids get to see the changes.” Early in the program the class also charts what changes they might see by the end of the program.
Studies have shown that as a person is more empathetic they tend to demonstrate less and less aggressive behaviours.
The students all were very interested in the baby’s development and all seemed to have developed a special bond to the four month old.
The focus of ROE in the long term is to build capacity of the next generation for caring and compassionate citizenship and parenting. In the short term, Roots of Empathy focuses on raising levels of empathy, resulting in more respectful and caring relationships and reduced levels of bullying and aggression. Part of its success is the universal nature of the program; all students are positively engaged instead of targeting bullies or aggressive children.