Well, that explains it! Recent research has determined that when our son or daughter exhibits a breathtaking lack of compassion and understanding, it’s because of a deficiency in the ability to experience empathy. Empathy refers to the ability to share someone else’s feelings or perspective…to “step into his shoes.” As in other areas, boys are a bit older when their ability to empathize increases–15 rather than 13 like girls–according to the research. In a Huffington Post article, Psychologist Barbara Greenburg gives 5 tips on helping teens develop empathy. Here are three:
- Point out social cues.
- Make your teens aware of how much impact their behavior may have on others.
- Praise your teen when he or she exhibits empathetic behavior.