by Kimberly Devine

Created on: March 18, 2009

A family can develop compassion together. In a society where compassion is fading from our lives, there is always room for adults to grow with their children at their sides.

Compassion in action requires a person to practice two skills. These simpler skills take a lifetime to master, but they can be used every day. As understood lessons, they require a person takes the strength to be consistently compassionate. These skills can also prevent a person with a compassionate nature from being exploited.

1. Self-responsibility

In the United States, there is a sense that citizens are victims of their environment. Actions are chosen by situations. As a society, this is an excuse for any behavior.

Self-responsibility is the idea that, no matter what happens, a person chooses his own actions. He owns them.

This is critical to compassion as a way of life.

It is easy to be compassionate when a person feels secure. It is much harder to be compassionate when there is fear. A person with a strong sense of self-responsibility will know he has to answer to himself at the end of the day. It is a strong motivator to do the right thing.

In example, a man witnesses a woman at work who is being sexually harrassed by a co-worker. To speak up at her side, he faces the potential for social rejection and backlash to his employment.

The individual who practices self-responsibility will stand at her side. He knows his actions are his alone. He will also understand that others are self-responsible as well.

If the complaint is not warranted, he will not let himself be used, and if he does stand by her, he will not allow his self-respect to be injured by others' petty behavior.

To teach this behavior requires a parent to practice the skill and be vigilant about reminding a child of his own responsibilities.

A child that yells at his sister for annoying him or taking a toy should be told more than "It's not okay to yell at your sister." He should be told "Your sister's actions were not okay, but you were the one who chose to yell. You are in trouble for your choice, not for her behavior."

The child will learn not to blame others for his behavior, especially if his sister is held to the same standard.

Also, self-responsibility is a good answer to emotional bullying. Remind a child, if a bully is saying something that the child would feel bad about himself for saying, the words and the person do not deserve respect.

For the parent, he cannot blame a child for things beyond his control. "We're always broke,

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