One easy way to help kids think about another’s perspective is simply to talk about other people’s feelings. This is a quick game that you can play when you have a couple of minutes, as you’re driving to school, as your students are lining up, as you’re getting seated and settled.

It’s best to start with relatable scenarios – situations that would happen to kids about the same age as the kid you’re working with. A few examples:

 How would someone feel if:

 She was trying to get ready for school and she couldn’t find her shoe?

 He found out that his best friend was moving to a new city far away?

 She gets to celebrate her birthday by taking three friends to the zoo?

 His family had to cancel a picnic at the park because it was raining?

 His best friend got a new bike?

 Her grandma is coming to visit?

 He was lost?

 As kids start to identify these feelings, you can also ask them how they would talk to a friend who was going through one of these situations. What words might help them feel better?

It is more difficult for children to think about the feelings of someone outside their immediate situation – such as an elderly person or their parents. But if the child is old enough to think more abstractly, you might try to ask targeted questions such as:

How would someone feel if their kid was lost in the grocery store?

How would someone feel if their granddaughter was coming to visit?

 How would someone feel if they had car trouble?

While they might not get it right, the practice of thinking about someone else’s perspective is valuable.