Studies have shown that empathy can be developed when parents talk to children about feelings. Adults need to model and teach young children how to interact with others. Children who are comforted when in distress will in turn comfort others, and children with extensive practice in turn-taking with a more socially skilled partner engage in similar turn-taking behaviours with peers.

Adults can also talk to children about how to interact through verbal and physical demonstrations, for example: “Pat the baby gently like this. Look she is happy when you do that because she is smiling at you.”