Opening to empathy

I am trying on a new perspective today, one that allows me to learn something new. Instead of thinking that I must always be my child’s teacher, I find lessons for myself in our interactions. I am open to the enlightenment this experience brings. When my child reacts to disappointment with a temper tantrum, I ask myself, What does he want me to know? What does he need? rather than reacting with a knee-jerk disapproval for his high emotions. The answer I discover is: He is having a difficult time. He is in pain. He needs compassion and empathy.

I tell him that I am here to help and that together we can solve his problem.

When I focus on the smallest component of the experience, I learn something profound about both of us: He requires my help learning to accept disappointment. I need more practice in cultivating my empathetic nature.