by K. Russell

Created on: March 28, 2009   Last Updated: June 17, 2010

Compassion is the expression of kindness and empathy. You may never have experienced the suffering of others, but you can certainly empathize with them and lend a hand. Being a parent means you have more good life skills to teach than a doctoral student is expected to address in their dissertation.

Luckily, teaching children about compassion simply requires that you live a compassionate life. They will copy you and learn form you, good or bad. Each time you show concern for a friend, family member, a stranger or a stray pet, you are teaching your children to do the same.

If you notice your children acting less than compassionate, it is time to evaluate your own life. Do you exhibit frustration and annoyance, or do you consider what the other person may be going through and offer your assistance? Do you donate time or money to charities, or do you hold tight to everything that is yours? Are you compassionate toward your own children, or do you brush them off out of tiredness and stress?

It is amazing how little effort it requires to make a huge difference in the life of someone or something else. The opportunities for acts of charity are growing each day. Millions of people around the world are desperate for clean, drinkable water. You can enlist the help and creativity of your children to contribute to worthy causes. You can initiate charitable acts at your child's school: food bank drives, coat drives, Red Cross fund raising events and community clean-up activities.

You can use the interests of your children to brainstorm ideas. If your child loves airplanes, do a little research and find out if there are any airplane restoration activities planned in your area, or start visiting your local VA Hospital and introduce your children to the never-ending stories and adventures of those who lived through war and combat, all in the name of freedom. If your child loves animals, as most of them do, take them to your local animal shelter and volunteer your time.

The time involved with these random acts of kindness will touch the lives of everyone involved. Not only will the charities benefit, but your children will learn invaluable life lessons about helping others and living a compassionate life. As an added bonus, you will spend time with your children that you might not have otherwise. Before you know it, they will be grown and living all the lessons you taught them.

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