Emotional closeness and empathy are the two entities that bring about contentment, peace, and joy. Both alleviate depression and dissipate anxiety, improving the quality of life for both parent and child.

Empathy and Infants

Because empathy is important, the origins of it are helpful for a parent to understand. A child’s experience of empathy originates in infancy and is often referred to as attachment. An infant’s physical state is connected to their emotional well-being. The infant depends on their parent for food, warmth, protection, and soothing. In fact, infants are neurologically hardwired to attach to the parent, and when a parent responds empathically to the infant, the attachment becomes strong. The quality or strength of the attachment predicts an infant’s emotional health and development.