2006-11-03 16:34:09 · 14 answers · asked by alysiac78 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Grade-Schooler
i have other children also and i have always been there for him he doesnt like for me to hug him and my other children show empathy i do have a cat he does realy like the cat but he doesnt care when anouther child is hurting or in trouble he only cares about himself
2006-11-04 16:10:58 · update #1
Empathy isn't born in us. It's aquired through learning. Teach him.
2006-11-03 16:36:08 · answer #1 · answered by IMHO 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Empathy is something we are all capable of. The person who said you are thinking of sympathy is wrong. You are thinking of empathy and it is something we are all born with but does not develop right away. Infants, by nature, are selfish. But as a child is nurtured and learns about the world around them, they should develop empathy and it is usually developed by the age of 5. My oldest started showing empathy at the age of two when he saw an animal get hurt on a cartoon. My youngest is almost 4 and has shown signs of empathy but not on a consistent basis.
Empathy is being able to put yourself in another person's shoes. When you see someone crying about something you want to cry too because you can feel their pain even though it isn't your pain. If you have a child who doesn't care when someone is sad or even laughs when they see someone get seriously hurt, then you have a child with no empathy. I've been concerned about my 4 yr. old lacking empathy. I'd be very, very worried if an 8 year old didn't show it.
2006-11-03 20:05:33 · answer #2 · answered by Amelia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe normal, maybe not. If you're talking abou self centeredness, I think it's pretty normal for a kid to be self-centered. But if you're talking about a total lack of empathy, as in, a lack of understanding of other's feelings, and why they would be feeling that way, maybe not normal.
I'd talk to a doctor, and maybe get a psychological evaluation. There are some conditions that manifest this way, (I have a kid with one), and while, at least in my son's case, there's no medication - there are exercizes that can be done with the child that can help.
The other thing about a psychological evaluation that I think is useful is, this type of behavior and perception on the kid's part, I think, can be really frustrating to live with, and on the chance that there is some sort of underlying cause, it's unfair to your son to treat it like a behavior problem, if you know what I mean. If he has no control over it, and gets negative feedback about it, (not necessarily from you, but peers, teachers, etc.) he may internalize some pretty damaging messages about himself.
2006-11-05 08:25:14 · answer #3 · answered by Amy B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Empathy is KNOWING how someone feels going through a situation. This isn't abnormal to not possess this quality. It is an acquired skill, usually one that comes with going through a similar situation.
According to something I read it is actually a skill you are either born with or not. I am not really sure about that, just because if your best friend gets into a car accident and two years down the road you meet a person waiting to hear news about his friend who was also in a car accident. It is situations like these that teach a person empathy. You would know what this person feels like, because you had been through the same situation earlier.
2006-11-03 17:15:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's hard to say without specific examples or knowing you kid. Is he just generally not interested in other people's problems? Eight year olds can be kind of self-centered and that's normal. Problems, though, if he is delighted by the suffering of others or sees someone he knows hurt or sad and doesn't care. Or maybe he's just not comfortable expressing empathy or pity?
2006-11-03 16:38:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
well empathy is a tricky thing. it is veyr hard these days to get a kid to actually think of others. in order to be empathetic, one must be able to relate to the other person. this requires actual human contact. Video games and television do not count. infact they are counter productive. neither are real life , neither depict real situations that he will go through. it is up to you to show him what real life is, and how to interact with people. when he learns to treat people as he wants to be treated, it slowly starts to sink in that people have feelings too.
2006-11-03 18:16:28 · answer #6 · answered by Scotty D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no,its not normal how he becomes as such is the problem but as of not now i suggest try to give a lots of affections by telling him he is a nice,good person and give him a lot of hugs and kisses and show some examples of caring and loving, if you can afford it having a dog and teaching him how to love and care for it will be very good. a lot of hugs and kisses is important.
2006-11-03 23:10:26 · answer #7 · answered by livinhapi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
at 8 years old some kids don't know how to express things they don't understand. I wouldn"t worry every child learns how to express certain feelings at there own time. you cantry to explain to him inkid sense what someone is going through so he can learn that some feelings are okay. but kids are self centered and if its not something that is effecting him directly I wouldn't expect them to have much of a reaction.
2006-11-03 16:45:43 · answer #8 · answered by shana m 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no it isnt normal he doesnt have respect for others. he needs to serious, long lesson in respect. because if he doesnt have respect for others than what kind of person is he going to grow up to be?. he needs to have respect, sympathy for others. it sounds like hes heartless but he needs to be taught a good lesson in respect and sympathy.
2006-11-04 03:48:52 · answer #9 · answered by mamas_grandmasboy06 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where have you been for the past 8 years? That is something that is TAUGHT in the home.
2006-11-03 19:10:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋