Empathy is an important tool that will help lead your child toward success in life. Children are not born with empathy. They must learn this skill just like they would learn to read or ride a bike. This begins by their being able to identify their own feelings.

The ability to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings helps children to show understanding and caring to others. In order to empathize with another person, a child must be able to see a situation from another person’s point of view. Without good empathy skills, most children cannot be good problem solvers or deal with anger well.

It is often difficult for children to look beyond themselves and their own needs. Children who show empathy for others feel better about themselves, have more friends, get into fewer fights with friends and siblings, and, in general, are more caring people. Empathy is the basis of becoming a more caring and compassionate person.

It is important to think about how children might feel in difficult or stressful situations. It is often easy to dismiss our children’s feelings as unimportant, but how they feel dictates how they act.