Talking to strangers gets a bad wrap in parenting circles but teaching kids to get curious about strangers is a powerful tool to build empathy.  The more we know about people’s lives who are different than us, the easier it is for us to put ourselves in their shoes and broaden our world view.

Challenge yourself to have at least one meaningful conversation with a stranger this week in front of your child.  Help them understand safe situations to strike up conversations with new people.  This could be the person sitting next to you in the doctor’s office, a new teacher at the school, etc.  Approach conversations with curiosity, an open mind and instead of the usual small talk, ask a question like “How is your day going?” and genuinely listen for their answer.

This simple activity builds empathy, curiosity and courage… all shown to help us thrive.

Featured image by Luca Bravo on Unsplash.