A child who truly cares about the way his or her actions impact others is, generally, a child with solid character. Usually this type of child feels immediate and deep remorse after a mistake and works hard to make it right. A deep streak of empathy usually runs through this sort of child.
Yet, what about the kids who lack these capabilities? Helping them acquire the capacity for empathy is critical because it is key in maintaining close and healthy relationships.
Yet, there are as many books about empathy as stars in the sky, so for the sake of time, parents need the secret. There is one essential way to help a child truly integrate empathy. It is for him or her to experience empathy from a parent. When a child experiences empathy, he or she gains the capacity to have empathy.
Empathy is honoring a person’s feeling state. Often, this is counter intuitive to parents who want to “fix” their child’s situation. Yet, as odd as it sounds, honoring and resonating with a child’s feeling state is what helps them, not rescuing them from their problem. Empathy, itself, is healing. Fixing the child’s predicament, on the other hand, strips the child of their self-efficacy.
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Read More: Study Shows Collaboration and Teamwork Help Develop Empathy
