Here at the Blue Barn, our mission is to teach and promote kindness, compassion and, most of all, empathy, to the individuals who visit us.
What is empathy?
According to Psychology Today, Empathy is the experience of understanding another person's thoughts, feelings, and condition from his or her point of view, rather than from one's own.
Empathy facilitates prosocial or helping behaviors that come from within, rather than being forced, so that people behave in a more compassionate manner.
Why teach it?
If we want our young people to grow into healthy and happy individuals, they require the social/emotional development to get them there. Learning how to respond empathetically is one of the best solutions to violence, bullying, and other unwanted aggressive behaviors in our kids.
Research shows that when a child expresses empathy, they show:
self- awareness
the ability to manage their emotions and the delay of gratification
the ability to understand right from wrong and the ability to act accordingly.
Why animals?
Because kids are naturally drawn to animals. They do not judge us. They give us comfort. Animals, while so different from us in appearance, can be so very similar in personality, demeanor, and intelligence. Here at the Blue Barn, we help kids and all visitors learn about the animals and see the similarities they hold with human beings. We tell their stories and give others the opportunity to feel what they’ve been through and see who they can become.
All in all, our hope is to teach kids to be kind. In a day and age where we, as an adult society, are divided and focused on each others’ differences, we hope that we can see the similarities in all of us and treat one another with the kindness, compassion and empathy we all deserve.
Want to learn more? The Doris Day Animal Foundation’s Empathy Connection provides excellent information about empathy and the connection between humans and animals.