CNN Relationships shows how your empathy can be gifted to the next two generations (your children and grandchildren). The article (with tips) explains research at the University of Virginia and includes insights from Dr. Michele Borba.
Dr. Katie Hurley writes (excerpt):
Look and listen more:
Are you worried about handling intense teen emotions? I encourage parents to follow the 80/20 rule: listen 80% of the time; talk 20%. Teens want to feel seen and understood, and that’s best achieved by listening and watching for their cues.
Handle your own stress:
“Your empathy goes down when you’re stressed, so take a breath and do what you need to do before you tune in and try to figure out what your teen needs.”
Talk feelings more often:
Using “I feel” statements around the house gets the whole family into the habit of talking about feelings.