19/08/2025
If only we could adopt this approach in Australia 🙏🏽❤️🩹🥰🦋
Denmark Teaches Empathy as a Core Skill for Kids
Since 1993, Denmark has made empathy a weekly class for every child aged 6-16. It’s not an extra. It’s not optional. Empathy sits alongside math and science as a core part of their education. Kindness isn’t considered a trait—it’s treated as a skill that can be developed and practiced.
Neuroscientists have now confirmed that practicing empathy literally changes the brain. It strengthens the medial prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for perspective-taking and emotional regulation. In other words, kids who practice empathy are literally wiring their brains to understand and respond to others in a more emotionally intelligent way.
This focus on empathy also influences teamwork. Nearly 60% of Danish schoolwork is done in teams, turning collaboration from an activity into an instinct. Without a competitive mindset, children are more likely to see their peers as allies rather than threats.
The results are remarkable. Only 6.3% of Danish students experience regular bullying, one of the lowest rates in Europe. Long-term studies also show that children who learn empathy early are more likely to graduate, find full-time jobs, and maintain strong relationships as adults.
Parents can start fostering empathy at home by asking questions like “How do you think they felt?” instead of just saying “Be nice.”
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