Empathy

Empathy is a skill ― one that we can cultivate and strengthen with practice. Empathy means that we can imagine what someone else is thinking or feeling and then respond in a caring manner. Most five-year-olds understand that other people have thoughts and feelings that are different than their own and that words and actions can influence the emotions of others (e.g., "My mom feels happy when I give her a hug"). Your child can also begin to understand the concept of "hidden emotions": people may feel sad or mad on the inside even if they are not showing it on the outside.