How many of you want to ensure that your children have empathy toward pets? For me it is very important because I feel that it one way that children learn to have empathy for people. When they feel for a pet or animal then they can easily parlay that into feeling for a human being. There is actual a national animal rescue and education focused non-profit in Sacramento called RedRover who have a comic book/game app that helps do just that.
Empathy is a skill that many are not naturally born with. There are those who are naturally emphatic and you will most likely recognize them as people who “wear their hearts on their sleeve.” There is nothing wrong with that however, for most it is a learned trait. One that typically we start learning at an early age and in my opinion the earlier the better.
The Restricted Adventures of Raja launched May 19, 2016 and is designed to help kids ages 7 to 11 practice empathy skills. It includes an interactive graphic novel e-book and a game. Both have English and Spanish language options, which is something I love. Using curriculum from the highly successful RedRover Readers program parents and educators alike are able to use questions woven into the story to help kids identify the behaviors and emotions of both animal and human characters. This allows children to imagine how the characters are feeling, thus teaching them skills necessary for empathy.
Sometimes rules must be broken to help those in need…The Restricted Adventures of Raja App: A Book & Game by RedRoverWill you know what to do when you are tested?
The first step to preventing animal cruelty is to help people have better relationships with animals. Once you understand an animal, you can feel empathy for an animal and naturally begin to treat that animal better. It is important to learn these valuable skills as children, as it not only will effect their interactions with animals all their life, but builds empathy skills for people as well. ~RedRover CEO, Nicole Forsyth
Get the App
The App is available on iTunes and Google Play and it is one app that I know you will all love. The kids have really enjoyed getting started with it and I love that they are learning a valuable skill even if they aren’t sure what it is at the moment. They will know soon and that is all that matters. My Maggie already has more than a little empathy. She cries every time a commercial for the humane society comes on. To the point that we have to change the channel or take her out of the room.
About Red Rover
RedRover brings animals from crisis to care and strengthens the bond between people and animals through a number of unique outreach programs.
Our volunteer team shelters and cares for animals displaced by natural disasters and reconnects them to owners. We also shelter and
care for animals rescued from puppy mills, hoarding cases and other significant abuse situations. With RedRover Readers, We help children explore the bond between people and animals through stories and discussion. RedRover is a four star rated charity by Charity Navigator
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Great post Rita, I totally agree, we have a family of loving pets and our pets have thought us so much
I can not tell you how important this lesson is. There have been direct correlations to those who abuse animals and then abuse people either by bullying or physical violence. If other breathing living beings cant resonate as being ‘real’ nothing else can be. They are detached.
There is a phase where some kids are cruel… for example perhaps if they have a BB gun and shoot a bird, but if they feel remorse, and process it, it is alearning experience. It is those that dont that can become truly scary individuals.
This is true! I always think of an explanation given by an FBI profiler about early signs of serial killers. He said one of the early signs they almost always found was cruelty toward & killing animals with no remorse. teaching empathy is very important.
This is a very important lesson and teaches kids that pets are living creatures and not just a toy.
I love that this starts kids young learning how to empathize. There are so many adults I’ve met who very obviously have not mastered this skill.
A fun app; Alysia is so tender-hearted she loves all animals.