when do children start to empathise - specifically with their parents?

[hatwoman]

on the whole dds are quite good, but there's some stuff they do (mainly dd1 age 6, mainly attitude and cheek and silliness) that drives us mad. She simply does not care that some of her behaviour actually upsets us. she really cannot empathise - really cannot see that we're people too. is it wishful thinking to think that some form of empathy might just kick in before she has her own kids...

You have heard of teenagers, right? I mean, their models of how to not be self-centred, don't you think?

Short answer, I think not until they have their own DCs is about right.

bugger