Raising Empathetic Kids

Everyone has two types of friends. One friend will listen to your issues, but is just there for you to vent. The other is a friend who is able to understand your problems by relating to your point of view. Both friends are good friends, but the differ ence between these two types of people is the skill of empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Without empathy, we cannot connect with others effectively. It allows us to build stronger relationships with friends and family. Empathy is a skill that every parent has to learn and teach to their children.

As a parent, focus on your kid’s behaviors from their point of view. For example, if they are crying, do not focus on them being a “cry baby.” Instead understand that they are trying to communicate something and that may be the only way they know to get your attention.

Teaching empathy to our children is a long and laborious task. Unfortunately, in our extremely selfish and entitled society, it is obvious that parents are blind to their childrens’ lack of empathy. So how do we teach our children the skill of empathy? Developing empathy can be broken into two categories: Imitation and Understanding.

Empathy development begins in babies through imitation. Mirror neurons allow us to naturally imitate the facial expressions, emotions, reactions, and behaviors of those around us. Research has shown that young children who accurately imitate others are more likely to correctly determine the emotions of others as they mature. This is why it is so important to spend face to face time with your baby playing games like “Patty Cake”. As your child grows, gently use your hand to guide your child’s hand when necessary to ensure they know the right way to do activities (cleaning up toys, song motions, sports, etc). Remember, your child needs you, not your cell phone.

Empathy continues to grow through experiences. A life full of diverse experiences increases a person’s ability to understand others more clearly. When we encounter people with whom we have something in common, high levels of “feel good” hormones (dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins) are released in the brain, creating a positive connection. This is why it is so important to expose your child to a wide variety of activities, people, and knowledge. The more exposure you give your child, the better he/she will be at understanding different points of view and connecting with people.

Mastering empathy takes tremendous practice and patience. To raise an empathetic child, you must model empathy and begin teaching this skill to your child very early. It continues to develop through exposure to a variety of people and experiences. So do not be afraid to push your children to play games they do not find interesting, read books about things they do not like, and take them places they do not want to go. Help them build relationships with people who have had a variety of emotions and experiences. Also, expose them to people who live out similar values that your family has in diverse ways. This promotes understanding. It might be difficult and painful in the beginning, but the payoff is enormous!

Saturdays At The Coop

The Concert Series at Cooper Riverside Park is here to bring you a variety of bands/ entertainment on the Saturday following LoDa ArtWalk. The City of Mobile Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership with Visit Mobile, invites you to a series of FUN and FREE Events. Relax and enjoy evenings under the stars with 12Eleven (Pop/R&B) on June 10, from 7:00 pm-10:00 pm at Cooper Riverside Park. Visit us online for more information at www.MobileParksandRec.org.

History Comes Alive at Battleship Memorial Park

Come see history come to life at Battleship Memorial Park on Saturday, June 3, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at our Living History Crew Drill. Interact with historical WWII reenactors aboard the USS ALABAMA and the USS DRUM. These crewmen, dressed in WWII period Navy uniforms, hold demonstrations throughout the day, conduct weapons briefings, and share stories told to them by our original crewmen. The big event of the day happens at 1:00 p.m. when “Call to Battle Stations” is sounded. Grab a spot on the deck of the USS ALABAMA and watch as vintage enemy aircraft fly over and attack the ship. The USS ALABAMA crewmen will defend her with their guns blazing! Spectators will be able to take in the whole experience while the crew fires the ship’s 20mm and 40mm guns. Planes fly based on weather conditions that day. The Deep South Amateur Radio Club will be broadcasting from Radio Central aboard the USS ALABAMA during the drill and welcome visitors to come and listen. For all ham radio operators, the call letters are K4DSR and K5LDA broadcasting between 20 and 40.

The drill is open to the public and included with general admission. For more information on the Living History Crew Drill, please visit our Facebook page at USS

2023 Ozanam’s Jazz Extravaganza

Join us for our signature fundraiser of the year. All proceeds benefit Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy’s mission of providing free medicine to uninsured patients in Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, and Washington Counties.

Come mingle, dine, and dance to the sounds of saxophonist Jarvis Wright & Keep It Live, Gabby Merz & The Swing Band, have your picture drawn by caricature artist J.D. Crowe, bid on fabulous items at our infamous silent auction, raffle, and wine pull, enjoy the best selections of Southern comfort foods and drinks, then raise your umbrellas and wave your hankies as we Secondline with the award-winning Excelsior Band at the end of the night. We’re looking forward to seeing you again this year - June 30th from 6 PM-9 PM at The Grand Hall. Bring a friend or two and come as jazzy as you’d like. Tickets are $45. Please visit https://ozanamcharitable-pharmacy-inc.networkforgood.com.

Distinguished Young Women

Distinguished Young

Women is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments. Our mission is to empower young women to reach their full potential by providing scholarship opportunities for college as well as personal development to become confident leaders. Join us for Community Night on June 21, the Preliminaries on June 22-23, and the National Finals on June 24. Please visit https:// distinguishedyw.org/ for more information.

Kyser Miree Memorial Fishing Tournament

The 13th Annual Kyser Miree Memorial Fishing Tournament presented by La-Z-Boy will be held Saturday, June 17. Our host once again this year will be The Mobile Big Game Fishing Club. Prizes this year will be Yeti Coolers, Polar Bear Coolers, Okuma Reels, Breakline Sunglasses, and much more. Tickets at $40 for adults and $20 for children. You can register at www.wilmerhall.org/donate. Choose “Fishing Tournament” in the drop down menu. All proceeds this year will benefit Wilmer Hall Children’s Home in Mobile. To learn more about Wilmer Hall, click www.wilmerhall.org.

4th of July Celebration 2023

Get ready for an Independence Day extravaganza. Join in on the fun on July 4th from 4 pm – 9:30 pm. Invite your friends and family to spend the day in downtown Mobile making memories, listening to live music, and most importantly, celebrating our country with a spectacular firework show. Enjoy live music at Cooper Riverside Park and a kid’s zone at Mardi Gras Park with a DJ, games and activities, bounce houses, face painting, caricature artists, and more. Fireworks begin at 9 pm.

Please visit https://www.cityofmobile.org/parks-rec/events/ 4th-of-july-celebration-2023 for more information.

Mobile Public Library’s Summer Reading Celebration

Register at any Mobile Public Library location or online at src. mobilepubliclibrary.org. All registrants will receive a Summer Activity Booklet highlighting the performers, events and programs taking place in June and July. The library invites the public to participate in a wide variety of activities for all ages including special performances, reading challenges, crafts, games and more!

• June 5-8: Deborah Ferguson: The Dancing Story LadyProfessional storytelling featuring African songs and dancing.

• June 12-15: Excelsior Band - Mobile’s favorite Mardi Gras band will perform songs and share jazz history.

• June 26-29: Wayne Curtis and the Mobile Alabama Africatown Drummers - A hands on introduction to African and Afro Caribbean rhythms.

• July 10-13: Mobile Environmental Studies Center’s Wildlife of Mobile Road Show - Learn about the wonders of Mobile’s local animals!

• July 17-20: Puppets

N’ Banjos with David Stephens - Meet Chubbly the puppet and enjoy banjo sing-a-longs!

• July 24-27: Juggler Ron Anglin-“One of a Kindness” - Songs, stories, and juggling tricks!

This summer’s reading challenge is simple and is for all ages: read for 400 minutes and receive a challenge completion prize and an entry into the grand prize drawing. Track your reading through the free Beanstack app or pick up a reading log at any library. The children and teens that read 400 minutes will receive an animal plush keychain, and adults a metal Mobile Public Library bookmark. The grand prize for each age group is a bicycle sponsored by Adventure Earth. Winners will visit Adventure Earth to pick out their very own personal bike.