Sympathy...

The other day on the way to school, we some how started talking about feelings.  Gabriel said he saw a bug smashed on the ground and that he felt sorry for the bug.  I told him that he was feeling sympathy for the bug and that was nice.  I should have known this would open up a whole can of questions, but sometimes, just like them, I speak before I think.

Gabriel asked, "Mom, what does sympathy mean?" and I quickly tried tocome up with a simple, yet honest response and replied, "Sympathy is when something bad happens to someone else and they feel sad.  If you have sympathy, you will feel sad too because they are sad." 

I tell you, that was the best I could come up with.  It is really hard to describe sympathy in terms a 4 and 5 year-old get.  So my next attempt was to give them some examples.  "Boys, how do you feel when your friend at school falls down and gets an ouwie on their leg?"  They responded together, "Sad".  Exactly!!!, I said, "that is sympathy." 

Then Gabriel attempted to give me an example, "Mom is sympathy when you feel sad because your friend loses their car and their house?"  Thinking to myself, "I don't know why he went for such a big loss", instead I said, "Yes Gabriel that would be feeling sympathetic for someone else and how sad they must be." 

And then it was Michael's turn... "Mommy, is sympathy when you feel sad because your friend lost all their skin?"

pause.... "Ummmmm, yes Michael, I guess that could be showing sympathy too."

Until next time,
Angie