Abstract
This position paper outlines the important role of self-regulation in helping young children develop their empathy skills. We contend that self-regulation practices need to be inherently embedded in early childhood education programs to help children develop reciprocal relationships that include empathy at the core. By applying a Reggio Emilia inspired approach to our understanding of empathy, we can begin to see the endless possibilities in this inquiry-driven model where the focus is not to “teach” empathy as a cognitive set of skills to be mastered, but rather to infuse empathy through natural interactions. This paper concludes with three vignettes drawn from the authors’ experiences in international early childhood settings that demonstrate the powerful connections among empathy, self-regulation, and the development of prosocial skills.