Empathy is the key to discipline, self-esteem, and compassion.
Discipline: Don’t give in, but empathize.
“It doesn’t seem fair that we can’t have Mac N Cheese for dinner tonight. You don’t like Vegetable soup very much and you wish we could just have your favorites every night. Wouldn’t it be fun to eat Mac N Cheese every day?!” “Tonight we are having vegetable soup, but tomorrow night we can have Mac N Cheese with broccoli.”
Self-esteem: Let your child know that you hear her and she has wonderful thoughts, ideas, feelings and talents to offer the world.
“I am just finishing the dishes and I really want to listen carefully to what you are telling me. Will you please hold onto your idea for a few minutes while I finish up and then we can sit at the table together and you can tell me all about it?”
Compassion: Model the way you want your child to react to others’ feelings so he will be a good friend and partner one day.
“Joey, I can see that you feel sad. You really want to have a dog of your own. Allergies are not fair. I feel sad too.”