There are many factors that influence a person’s life in his or her formative years, but parenting is the most important among them. It is the responsibility of parents to explain to their children what is right and what is wrong so that they can form their own opinion and develop a sense of self-worth. For example, when conflicts occur because of cultural differences, parents should discuss that every person can have his or her own background, religion, and any other cultural details. Despite differences, it is critical to respect each other, which would minimize conflicts. Empathy is the key quality that should be cultivated by parents to shape their child’s emotional world and the sense of self-importance.
To help their children feel better, some parents can use lie and justify their actions, seeing them as the only solution. In “White Lies” by Erin Murphy, Connie faced bullying from her classmates for being different. To protect herself, she told them that her father working at the candy factory can provide them with various sweets. In fact, “Her mother was filling a cardboard box. And Connie, bathed in unflinching fluorescence, was curved over her notebook making small, careful check marks” (Murphy, n.d.). By writing this quote, the author appeals to the reader’s emotions and as if asks the question of whether the example of Connie’s mother is correct or not.
It seems that she is not guilty since there was no other opportunity to help her daughter feel self-confidence and address school bullying. Namely, Murphy stresses that classmates were lacking cultural awareness, while the teacher was absolutely ignorant to relationships in the classroom. It is evident that Connie’s relationships with classmates improved, but the long-term benefits include achieving emotional stability, reducing her anxiety, and developing healthy self-esteem. It is not possible to recommend all parents to imitate this example since every situation should be considered individually. Nevertheless, it can serve as one of the ways by which parents can practice empathy and support their children.
Another example of parental empathy is inviting children to play team games. In a class, where African-American, Hispanic, and Chinese students learn together, conflicts seem to be unavoidable. Some students can be mocked, others can gather in groups to look stronger for those who are different from them. In cooperation with teachers, parents can show children that they can strive for a common goal during games that can be organized in schools or during leisure time.
They would become more receptive to the feelings of different people and expand their social sphere, which is favorable for self-confidence development. Team games foster a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and give a lot of empathic experiences. By playing in a team, children learn to find common ground, cooperate, care about each other, solve problems, negotiate, communicate, and find a compromise. Play is a powerful tool for socialization as it helps children to accept differences between people, overcome obstacles, and avoid dividing the world into friends and foes.
To conclude, parent-child relationships should be characterized by emotional openness. The “White Lies” story by Erin Murphy offers useful insights on how parents can support their children by being empathetic. Empathy cultivation helps children to develop self-confidence and build relationships with others. Teaching self-importance is closely related to empathy in relationships between children and their parents.
Reference
Murphy, E. (n.d.). White lies. Web.