Empathy is important when your child is experiencing strong emotions. It's hard when you study your notes but still can't remember everything. This excerpt is from How To Say It to Your Kids by Dr. Paul Coleman.
Parents trip up when it comes to showing genuine empathy.
It's difficult to empathize when you're upset or angry or reeling from something your child has just said. Sympathetic pep talks are encouraging, but they are not empathic. When you make an empathic response, you are not trying at that moment to solve problems or heal wounds. Instead, you are trying to understand your child's pain and talk about it in a way that helps the child realize you truly do understand. When Annie came home crestfallen because a boy playmate preferred the company of another boy, her mother wanted Annie to feel better.