Then Mom may have realized that her daughter's concerns were worth examining. The way you hung up the phone makes me think you're upset about something. You're really excited about the class trip to the aquarium. A true empathic response is like holding up a mirror to someone. What they hear you say is a reflection of how they feel.
Empathic comments are without judgment.
They do not contain solutions to a problem, but solutions fall more easily into place if you can empathize because you understand the problem better. When you are showing empathy, your child will likely talk more. It's easier for a child to reveal her concerns when someone can accurately describe her feelings. I'd like to talk about it with you, but maybe you'd rather think about it by yourself for a while. That may gently coax your child to respond.