- Empathize with your child and model empathy for others. E.g., by showing empathy yourself, your child will learn how it makes the other person feels better.
- Make caring for others a priority and set high ethical expectations.
- Provide opportunities for children to practice empathy. E.g., speak about a tragic world event.
- Expand your child’s circle of concern. It is normal for children to be incredibly egocentric until they reach an age where they realize the world does not revolve around them.
- Help children develop self-control and manage feelings effectively. Talk about restraint, delayed gratification, and self-management techniques early in life so they can manage their own emotions.
Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘You’re not alone. -Brene Brown