Ask, Don't Lecture

Empathy grows through ordinary questions: "How do you think your friend felt?" or "What might the new kid be feeling?" Repeated often, the question becomes their own habit.

Model it out loud. When you spot someone having a hard time, say what you are thinking: "That driver looks stressed. I bet they're running late for something." You are showing your child the invisible step, the part where you wonder about a stranger instead of judging them. Kids copy what they watch you do far more than what you tell them to do.