⬅︎ Parenting Tips

💡 Use books, shows, and everyday moments to “pause and wonder aloud” about how others might be feeling.

✅ Benefits of Emotional Perspective-Taking

• Strengthens empathy and perspective skills

• Turns passive media time into emotional learning

• Helps children practice “emotional guessing” in real-world settings

• Deepens understanding of social situations

• Makes kids more sensitive, inclusive, and emotionally aware

🧠 What Research Says

Emotional intelligence isn’t just about your feelings—it’s about understanding others’ too. And this skill—called perspective-taking—doesn’t come automatically. It needs practice.

When you pause during a book or show and say, “Hmm, how do you think that character feels right now?” you’re gently training your child to step into someone else’s shoes. This builds what psychologists call “theory of mind”—the ability to understand that others have their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Even better? When you model curiosity about emotions in daily life (“That shopkeeper looked upset—wonder why?”), it shows your child that tuning into people isn’t just polite, it’s powerful.

This habit helps children become kinder, more thoughtful friends—and prepares them for complex emotional navigation in school, work, and relationships.

📖 A Parenting Anecdote

In Chennai’s vibrant Besant Nagar, Avni and her son Kabir were deep into their favorite bedtime book—a jungle adventure with talking animals and plenty of drama.

As the tiger sulked away from the group after being teased, Avni closed the book and asked, “What do you think the tiger’s feeling right now?”

Kabir squinted. “Maybe…sad? Or embarrassed?”

“Why do you think so?”

“He turned his face away. And his tail was droopy.”

They talked for a few minutes about teasing, loneliness, and how being left out can make even the toughest tiger feel small.

The next day, walking past a street vendor who looked frustrated while rearranging fruit, Avni said quietly, “He seems upset. I wonder what might’ve happened.”

Kabir watched. “Maybe someone didn’t pay him?”

Avni nodded. “That’s a good guess. It’s not our job to know everything, but it’s kind to notice.”

By week’s end, Kabir was the one pointing out: “Amma, that aunty on the phone is smiling a lot—she’s probably happy!”

Avni smiled back. Not every lesson needed a whiteboard. Some lived in bedtime books and grocery lines.

💬 Final Thought

Children learn empathy not through lectures, but through gentle wondering. When you pause and notice others’ feelings out loud, you give your child the beautiful habit of emotional curiosity.

Try this tip today—next time you’re watching a show or reading a book, pause and ask, “What might that person be feeling?” You’ll be surprised at what your child sees.