I was one of a litter of 4 children in my family. We were four children born within 5 years of each other. That didn't really make us close. We were never taught empathy for each other. We were taught competition. There were enough parents to go around, so whoever screamed the loudest, complained the most got the attention. We were never really taught to think about each other in my memory.
I had an only child. He was a good kid, a really good kid, but there aren't as many opportunities to teach empathy with an only child. They get everything or nothing, the parents decide. There can be no alliance or group plan to achieve anything. Parents and children aren't at equal levels. I can't say that I really helped my son to understand and have empathy for others.
But my grandchildren are less than two years apart. They have been learning empathy from the beginning. I have to give my daughter in law credit for that. She has encouraged these kids to love one another. I observed El crying because her brother took something away from her. Her brother didn't give her back the thing he took, but he did stop and give her a hug. She wasn't necessarily happy about that, and it continued to bother the brother that she was crying so he cried too, but he still didn't give her back the toy she wanted. It was his toy and he was playing with it when she took it, so by rights, he took it back. Eventually El found something else and moved on. I was impressed by this incident because there was a show of empathy without capitulation. They worked this out by themselves.
I have hope for them, these grandchildren who are learning at a young age to solve their own problems. They are learning that caring doesn't mean giving in. They are learning empathy.