I had plenty of empathy as a child and was more mature than my age mates. But I had zero patience with kids I was supposed to help. As a child I simply could not understand how is it possible they "didn't get it!" when it was so easy? I didn't learn to have that patience with other people who were slower learners until I was in my late 20s / early 30s. Even teachers don't always have that patience. How can they expect it from a little kid?