What I love about Love and Logic #2

I love that "leading with empathy" is like a magic pill!

Leading with empathy works with little kids I babysit for, the 8th graders I teach, my young adult children, my coworkers, and my mother-in-law!

For some reason people now think I am friendlier, more caring, more interested in them.  I am friendly, caring, and interested but for some reason my old "suck it up soldier" approach didn't communicate that.

Empathy really helps set brains up for better communication.  It lowers stress and opens hearts.  This is true both of the empathize-er as well as the empathize-ee.  When it is used before a consequence, it allows a child being disciplined to focus on their own behavior instead of focusing on the adult's anger, lecture, or threat.  It's magic.