Success Lessons Centre

Parent: I have to practically beg my child for empathy. I’ve pretty much given up.

Me: We should not expect empathy from our child, but rather give empathy without expectation of reciprocation. Empathy is not a scale that needs to remain balanced. Our empathy for others should not depend directly on their empathy for us. In an adult relationship, you can choose to have boundaries around empathy. You can express that you don’t feel supported by someone else. An expectation of reciprocated empathy may be appropriate in an adult relationship. But with a child-parent relationship, it’s not the child’s job to empathize with and support the parent. It’s the parent’s job to empathize with and support the child.

This is a little excerpt from my book….

Finding Your Calm: Responsive Parents Guide to Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation
�This book combines my knowledge of child development, brain science and trauma to offer parents a unique resource that includes lots of exercises, reflections, insights and also… links to additional research, articles and videos that can help support your healing and learning journey.

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