Bringing mothers and babies in to schools to teach empathy? Have you heard of this?

[msjones]

What do you think of this type of program in a public school? They are bringing babies in to classrooms to "help teach empathy. "

 

http://http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrylarge/2015090129_jdl19.html

 

Somehow this just doesn't sit quite right with me... I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it just seems a bit depressing that kids aren't learning this at home?

 

I'd love to hear what some of you think. (I'm hoping we can avoid a general public-school-slam-fest, however.)

[Caitilin]

I have heard of this, and I think it's marvelous idea. How much better to show kids how to give and receive love in appropriate ways than try to pick up pieces after they haven't--if the children have no experience with this in their home lives, that IS too bad, but helping to remedy it seems to me an unqualified good.

[Impish]

Eww.

 

Sorry, I can't get beyond the initial knee jerk, "Eww, I'd never bring my baby to school." reaction. Viruses, etc...plus, I'm not one to be happy with a bunch of ppl touching my kid.

 

I can't get the link to work, so can't read the article, but that's my initial reaction.

[creativish]

Hmm. Not sure what to say on this one.

Although it does remind me of the time we took one of our littles to Dh's mom's FCS Child Development high school classes when he was a few weeks old. DH was holding him and he spit up and bunch and it slapped the concrete floor. The class had a heyday with that one! :tongue_smilie:

Empathy? not so much. Potential birth control? maybe :lol:

[WishboneDawn]

It just seems weird that something that should be so natural and everyday, kids seeing and interacting with babies and younger kids, should have to be artificially imposed. My inner radical homeschooler has mostly calmed down over the years but things like this just get it riled up all over again.

 

Good for the kids but a shame they need to do it.

[Crispa]

The above links doesn't work; here's another try:

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrylarge/2015090129_jdl19.html

 

I think it's a lovely idea. Some children don't have books in their homes; some children don't have empathy in their homes; some children have the empathy but no babies around; other children see plenty of babies but don't get to see people being nice to them. It is a shame, and it's a lovely idea to help those who don't have access to such things at home.

 

And if it's a way of broaching subjects like being kind or taking another person's point of view, or if it results in a calmer, friendlier classroom, then that's a bonus!

 

From the volunteer's perspective, I don't think I'd be overly concerned about bringing an older infant to a kindergarten classroom once a month. Or to church once a week, for that matter. :)

 

From the article:

 

"I worked with thousands of families and came across neglect, abuse and domestic violence," she said. "In all those cases I came to see that the common denominator was an absence of empathy in the adults."

 

That lack of empathy was being passed down through generations. She created Roots to break that cycle.

 

"I use a mother and baby so children can see the most perfect example of empathy we have," she said.

[tadah]

It's really a very good program, and I'm not one who gets excited about every "new" approach that comes along. Here's the book that explains more about the program -- I got it from our library.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Gordon-Roots-Empathy-Changing/dp/B000EFP0TM

 

My recollection is that the book isn't very well written, but a lot of the content is just good common sense. The students think about what the baby needs, and in the process are encouraged to think about what makes us all human and how we should treat people.

[Tarreymere]

A lot of the kids around here have their own babies starting in middle school. No need to bring any in to the school.

[cindergretta]

I think it is awesome that someone is trying to creatively teach empathy, something many don't have and it never even occurs to them. Maybe this will be a springboard for other ideas.