If a child in our class is sad, another child will almost always try to cheer that child up, usually by offering a toy, or, if the sad child has a special "lovey" - a doll or a stuffed animal from home - by finding and offering that.
We hear so much about how young children are selfish, it is easy to forget that they are also very compassionate. It is developmentally appropriate for children to be self-centered, but that does not mean they have no sense of empathy.
Sometimes adults unwittingly discourage children's compassion. We notice so much more when children take toys from each other.
I don't think our class is unique in that the children show caring behavior at least as often as they fight, but I do hope it means we are doing a good job of NOT training the children out of their natural compassionate caring tendencies.
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