Chores and Compassion
Here's an interesting research finding reported by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo in their book Growing Kids God's Way:
"Researchers from Toronto, Canada and from Macquarie University in Australia studied children from families who were given daily chores and those who were not…"
"Children who performed household chores showed more compassion for their siblings and other family members than children who did not share in family responsibility. Even more interesting was the fact that not all chores are equal. The kids who did family-care chores like setting the table, feeding the cat or bringing in firewood, showed more concern for the welfare of others than children who had only self-care responsibilities, such as making their own bed and hanging up their own clothes" (page 155).
So it seems helping to care for others helps instill a caring approach to others.