Summary: Building trust before offering guidance.
Children listen best when they feel understood. Leading with connection rather than correction can prevent escalation and reduce shame. A sentence such as “Something feels hard right now, I am here and we can work this out” shows the child that you value the relationship.
Beginning with empathy does not remove boundaries. Instead, it increases the child’s capacity to hear the adult’s guidance and regulate their own response. Over time, this approach strengthens relational trust and helps children feel confident that adults can support them through difficult moments.
