Avoid confusing empathy with pity . Pity is immobolizing and breeds contempt, whereas empathy is motivating and inspires hope. Our children need to be able to appreciate the plight of others and have compassion, not so they can give others fish, but so they can teach others how to fish. Instilling empathy requires modeling empathy. Teach effective communication .
Communication is effective when the message received is the message intended.
Since we can't not communicate, we want to be sure that our words match our tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. Listening is the other key element in effective communication. Listening requires a total body experience and includes our eyes and feelings, as well as our ears. The feelings behind the words are just as important as the words themselves. Avoid confusing effective communication with talking .