One of the many challenges that parents face is teaching their children the concept of compassion and how important helping others simply for the sake of doing good is. It can be a bit difficult for little ones to grasp the concept of acting selflessly, even when they may feel sympathy and a sense of caring for others. Here are ten ways to help children of all ages to understand and practice the concept of compassion for others:

• Get a pet or find out how you can help at your local animal shelter – Learning to love animals, and to help those that have been abused or neglected starts with hands-on care. If you don't have the adequate space or lifestyle to adopt a shelter pet of your own, volunteering at a local facility can help your child reap the benefits of caring for animals and learn the value of protecting them. If possible, look for no-kill shelters so that your child won't become attached to an animal that will be euthanized or, even worse, accidentally witness the process.
• Sponsor a child – There are many reputable foundations that allow the more fortunate to sponsor a child living in poverty. Most will send photographs of the sponsored child and even forward letters they’ve written, helping your own children to understand the realities of life in a poverty-stricken or war-torn nation while fostering a sense of compassion.
• Visit kids in hospital or hospices – although it's a grim reality and one that parents often do not want to discuss with their children, life-threatening and terminal illnesses do strike kids as well as adults. Organizations like the "Make A Wish Foundation" help kids with those illnesses to realize a dream or make one wish come true for them; helping these organizations or others at a local level along with your child can help them feel compassion and to empathize with children their own age in difficult situations.
• Start a "thankful list" – one of the best ways to help kids feel compassion for those that are less fortunate is to first help them understand just how much they have to be grateful for. Get into the habit of listing things to be thankful for (either by saying them or writing them down). A great way to do this is at bedtime - e.g. after reading a story and getting ready to sleep.
• Use story time – many thoughtful children's books touch on many complex concepts in ways that are easier for kids to grasp and apply to their own lives. Browsing your local bookstore for titles that contain elements of compassion, giving, sympathy and empathy can be a good way introduce your kids to these themes.

Finally more than anything else, parents who want to instill a sense of compassion and a desire to help others in their children should do their best to be a role model of such behavior. Kids learn by modeling themselves after the adults in their lives; witnessing their parents in the act of being compassionate and giving is the best way for kids to be inspired to behave similarly.

From a very young age, children have the ability to feel compassion, though they will express those feelings with simple phrasing like "I'm sad that ..." or "I feel sorry for ..." Encouraging these feelings and helping them to understand why they feel that way and what they can do to help will help to set a foundation for compassionate giving later in life.

By DIYFather.com based on content from nannyjobs.org