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Empathic listening vs dismissive listening

by Clear Sky Team
Feb 03, 2026
Follow us @ClearSkyCharity

 

Children learn to regulate through the adults in their life. It's in their interaction with us that they learn to cope with and move through difficult feelings.

If we're dismissive of feelings, if we try and fix them or minimise them, we teach them that feelings are unsafe. We teach them that feelings are not to be felt.

To support children to know that their feelings are welcome, we can start by giving them space. Here are a few examples of how we can be empathic in times of struggle... so that we can support children to know that they can cope with big feelings and to help them learn that they will come and go.

If you would like to download the examples above you can do so here


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