Summer is a great opportunity for parents to participate in activities with their children that can help them to develop empathy, respect for others and positive problem-solving skills, including the following:

• Perform community service – Participating in community service with your children can help them to better understand people of different backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, ages, educations and income levels. Consider having your children volunteer with an organization that focuses on servicing certain groups that are commonly misunderstood or harassed by others.
• Watch films that discourage prejudice – Watching films with your children on the harmful effects of racism, homophobia, sexism and other forms of prejudice throughout history can help your children develop empathy and discourage them from bullying others. Watching these films may help children who have been bullied to identify with other groups that have been mistreated. Many films that address these issues can be found at the public library.
• Read books or other literature that discourage prejudice – Similar to watching films that address the prejudice many groups have faced, reading books on this topic can help your children develop empathy and discourage them from bullying others. Books that deal with prejudice should be available at school and public libraries.
• Visit museums and attend educational events on social issues – Taking your children to museums or educational events with exhibits that focus on social issues, such as poverty, civil rights and prejudice, can help your children to better understand the lives and struggles of others. Many local community organizations, governments and public universities also regularly hold panels, workshops and other events on past and current social issues that are open to the public.
• Keep your family up-to-date on current events – Watching the news, reading the newspaper and engaging in other activities that help your children stay up-to-date on current events can have many benefits. Talking about the events and discussing the behavior seen can help to teach the behavior you want to see from your children.