This episode is all about empathy—something that has come up many, many times on this show, but somehow in over 200 episodes, we have never had an entire episode devoted to empathy as a topic. So I’d say it’s about time, and there is no better person to talk about empathy than frequent friend-of-the-show and all-around amazing human Amanda Morin. For those who might not be familiar with Amanda’s work yet, she’s a writer, parent advocate, former teacher, and current in-house expert for one of my favorite go-to resources, Understood. Amanda’s newest book is called What Is Empathy? A Bullying Storybook for Kids, which I have had the chance to review and just have to say that it is so well done and is a must-have for every home.
In our conversation, we talk about her new book and how it differs from other anti-bullying books, as well as how to cultivate empathy in our children, how empathy relates to differently wired kids, and the importance and power of parenting from a place of empathy. This is such an important topic for the time we live in and I’m so grateful for Amanda’s insights and gentle demeanor. You’ll feel more calm and mindful just from listening to her.
About Amanda: Amanda Morin is a speaker, author, host of the “In It” podcast, former classroom teacher and early intervention specialist, mom, and all-around Wearer of Many Hats. She also serves as a writer and Senior Expert in Family Advocacy and Education for Understood, where she teaches about using empathy as a tool to understand difference and embrace inclusion.
Amanda is the author of four books, including the newly-released What Is Empathy? A Bullying Storybook for Kids, The Everything Parent’s Guide to Special Education, The Everything Kids’ Learning Activities Book and On-the-Go Fun for Kids! She lives in coastal Maine with her family.
THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
- What is empathy and why it is important
- What is the distinction between cognitive empathy and affective empathy
- Why—and how—we should be teaching kids about empathy
- How empathy relates to differently wired kids
- What is meant by the Theory of Mind and how it connects to empathy
- All about Amanda’s newest book and what makes it different from other anti-bullying books
- The importance of parenting from a place of empathy and examples of how to model empathy with our children
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- What Is Empathy?: A Bullying Storybook for Kids by Amanda Morin
- The Everything Parent’s Guide to Special Education: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Advocating for Your Child with Special Needs by Amanda Morin
- The Everything Kids’ Learning Activities Book: 145 Entertaining Activities and Learning Games for Kids by Amanda Morin
- On-the-Go Fun for Kids!: More Than 250 Activities to Keep Little Ones Busy and Happy–Anytime, Anywhere! by Amanda Morin
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