Supporting the Development of Empathy

Empathy can be defined as “knowing what another person is feeling,” “feeling what another person is feeling,” and “responding compassionately to another’s distress” (California Department of Education, 2009, p. 11). Empathy is closely tied to the emerging sense of self, when children experience that they are separate from—yet connected to—others. In child care settings, infant/toddler caregivers play an important role in helping babies and toddlers develop empathy. This resource explores that critical role in the social-emotional development of infants and toddlers.

This resource is also available in Spanish.