Raising Successful Children: Teaching Empathy Is Essential To Good Parenting And Here's How Parents Can Do It

It's essential for parents to teach their children empathy. The ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others without judgment enables children to grow into mature adults with strong self-esteem.

Teaching empathy develops forward-thinking children who are flexible and tolerant, and who can resolve conflicts benevolently, which is a vital life skill. But to raise successful children through empathy is not an easy task. So what must parents do?

Parents set the example to raising emphatic kids and it starts with how the children are disciplined. According to Forbes, parents must assess how they are correcting or validating their children's behavior as they will learn empathy in these situations.

For instance, a parent who belittles, shames, undermines, labels, screams or hits the child as a way of disciplining could be contributing to negativity. This could cripple a child's development and self-esteem, thus affecting how he relates with others in that he might eventually become an indifferent bully because it's what he's learning from his parents.

On the other hand, a parent who validates a child's feelings -- whether these are good or bad feelings -- is helping a child develop strong coping mechanisms. Talking to children is a positive disciplining tool. "Once we know the valid root of the behavior, we can easily remove the cause or heal the emotions," parenting book author Naomi Aldort said, according to PBS.

Let's spread a little kindness this December: here are some children's books to help bring out compassion & empathy https://t.co/1qQ6ueHPfd pic.twitter.com/TIZSQ0gLhH

— BookTrust (@Booktrust) December 6, 2016

It is also important for spouses to be on the same page when it comes to disciplining their children for consistency. They can raise successful children better if they are working together as a team. This is about establishing the values that the family upholds and it is one key to teaching empathy, according to Real Simple.

Parents, what ways have you done to cultivate an emphatic environment for your children? Share your thoughts in the comments!