Empathy — the ability to understand how someone else feels and respond with care — starts developing in the first years of life, but it takes years to fully form. Toddlers between 18 and 24 months are just beginning to realize that other people have their own thoughts and feelings, separate from their own. Reminding parents that selfishness is normal at this age (not a red flag) can help ease worries and increase a sensitive response while they support this slow-growing skill.

Here are a few tips to offer parents:

• Model empathy: Children learn by watching how parents treat others, so showing kindness and care is the first lesson.
• Name feelings out loud: Narrating emotion in everyday moments, like pointing out that a friend looks sad, helps children begin to recognize feelings.
• Validate big emotions: Letting a children know it's okay to feel mad or sad teaches them that strong feelings are normal, not something to hide.
• Use play and books: Acting out feelings with toys or reading stories about emotions gives children low-pressure ways to practice recognizing them.
• Look beyond "sorry": Instead of focusing on an apology after a conflict, encourage children to notice how the other person feels and think of what action can help.

Try printing THIS HANDOUT for parents for more information on empathy.