Interestingly enough, one of the best ways to teach empathy is also one of the best ways to develop self-confidence....struggle.
As has been mentioned, we all have our blessings and challenges, it's important we help our children relate their challenges to those of others. If our children aren't challenged in numerous ways, then we're doing them a huge disservice and setting them up for large scale future failure if not catastrophe.
I think any frequent reader of this forum understands the importance of challenging GT children, not simply to keep them happy but to avoid the danger of our children not experiencing and getting used to struggle in their lives now that they’ll most certainly face on a larger scale later in life.
One other option that might help anyone with empathy and compassion is volunteerism. Spend time with your child volunteering for causes when others obviously struggle or lack in blessings that you and your child can help provide. Volunteering, seeing others struggle greatly, and being able to help them has a way of changing our hearts, humbling our souls.
