Perspective Taking...Important for Children, Important for Adults

Mai Lor is the author of our latest entry on chapter 2, and this is her in the third grade. She said she didn't know this picture existed until she went looking through her mom's photo albums, searching for a photo for this blog. Now steeped in her college studies of child development, she said, "It's surprising to see that I was once a kid, too!" I think you'll enjoy her thoughts on the chapter, as well as the examples from her memories of grade school.

The second chapter of Galinsky’s book highlighted the significance of perspective taking. The focus on perspective taking does not only involve the child, but also the adults encircling the child. The author mentions that perspective taking is a very important element through which a child needs to simply understand that their own thinking and feelings differ from others. First off, in order for the child to start thinking from a different point of view, the parents should also acquire and use the same concept. I do admit that even as an adult, it is often difficult to put myself in the shoes of others. Therefore, getting a child to start recognizing that each person’s mind works differently is a great way to start.

In this chapter, Galinksy suggested nine essential ways to encourage perspective taking in children. As I read through the chapter, there were two suggestions that really stood out. Out of the nine, suggestion four was one of the two topics that I found most fascinating, because I can relate to it. Galinsky wrote that in order to help a child understand others’ perspectives, in return, that child needs to feel that someone knows and understands them as well. I can recall a time when I didn’t feel good so I told my mom that I didn’t want to go to school. She didn’t yell at me or get on my case; instead she told me that I should still attend school for the day and if I was feeling worse then I could call home from the nurse’s office. I remember taking her words to heart, and not hesitating to go to school that day. After reading this chapter, I now clearly understand why my mom didn’t yell at me or why I didn’t fuss. I sensed that my mom knew and understood how I felt that day. On the other hand, I also understood my mom’s perspective that getting my education was an important factor for her.

Another intriguing section that caught my attention was the second suggestion offered by the author. Galinsky stated that raising a child to get along well with others is as important as teaching a child to become independent. Both lessons should be equally distributed and considered when teaching perspective taking. I highly agree because life is not just about you as a human being, but also about how well you can interact with others in your surroundings. When children communicate, they too, learn that there are differences in the way others view things. I also liked the example the author used that pertained to promoting problem solving skills in children. Writing a list of how to resolve conflicts is a great strategy to help a child process their own thinking as well as recognize that perception works differently in the minds of others.

In conclusion, this chapter has broadened my outlook to new ways of looking at how others (especially children) may see things and perhaps approach them in a more acceptable way. Studying in the field of Child Development, I strongly feel that these suggestions will be beneficial to me personally and when working with young children. I never thought that just having some knowledge in perspective taking can make such a huge impact on communication. Perspective taking is not an easy and straightforward goal to accomplish. Again, even as adults, we sometimes can’t see another person’s point of view and that’s why people quarrel and have their disagreements. Most importantly, teaching a child these skills can advance their knowledge and development. This chapter has inspired me to do something differently with children in the future.