Empathy Requires Boundaries

To empathize effectively, it is crucial to acknowledge and respect the ownership of emotions. When dealing with feelings, such as guilt for denying a child's request, it is important to maintain emotional boundaries. Visualizing emotions as being on opposite sides of a tennis court helps to reinforce this concept. One must consciously push back feelings that do not belong to them, allowing for a healthier emotional interaction where each person is entitled to their feelings without judgment. Embracing the idea that it is okay to say no while accepting the validity of someone else's upset fosters mutual respect and emotional clarity.

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Dr. Becky Kennedy is the founder and CEO of Good Inside, a parenting movement that overturns a lot of conventional, modern parenting practices to empower parents to become sturdy, confident leaders and raise sturdy, confident kids. She is the author of the bestselling book Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, a chart-topping podcast, a TED talk with nearly 4 million views on the power of repair, and an upcoming children’s book, That’s My Truck! A Good Inside Story About Hitting.

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Timestamps:

[00:00] Who is Dr. Becky Kennedy?

[06:49] The power of repair.

[09:44] “It’s never your fault when I yell at you.”

[13:49] What does it mean to be a “good” parent?

[15:26] Activating curiosity over judgment.

[18:27] Alternatives to saying “Good job” as a confidence builder.

[23:16] Making kids happy vs. building capability.

[26:44] A pilot metaphor for sturdy leadership.

[31:56] Role confusion.

[34:30] Defining boundaries.

[38:44] How parenting becomes a two-way mirror for growth.