Empathy can be imparted to the child by discussing your own feelings using specific action words, like angry, jealous, love, afraid, sad, etc. and how you deal with it.   Those discussions should be simple and relate to the feeling the child is experiencing.   Once the child realizes that he is not alone who has this feelings, his reactions will be different.  The most effective way to learn empathy is through playing with other children.   Playing with other kids provides the child with the opportunity to observe the behavior of others and to develop his/her social abilities.   However, if you have a shy toddler, please don't force him into social interaction and other social functions, let the child does so at his own comfort level.   Gradually ease the child into social interactions with kids his own age.

It is important that the child develops a sensitivity and awareness of how other people are feeling through their body languages, the look in their eyes, the facial expressions, and the tone of their voices.   This can be done while watching TV or those Disney kids' video.   Help them relate to the characters' feelings.   For example, happiness, why they are happy, and what made them happy, isn't it better to be cheerful and happy?  The most important feeling is anger, why are they angry, does it help to be angry, what can be done instead of being angry?  Is it normal to be angry?  What are the alternatives to being angry?