As a parent or those in a parenting role, you play a crucial role in helping your child develop empathy. Empathy is the way people relate effectively to one another. It’s the ability to notice what others are feeling, understand that information, and respond in a compassionate manner. There are intentional ways to cultivate a healthy parent-child relationship while increasing your child’s capacity for empathy from the time they are born all the way through their teen years. Empathy is needed for your child to experience happy healthy relationships because it allows for emotional connection to others beginning early with family and friends, then as they develop, extends to successful school, work, social, and even romantic relationships.