Being a parent is difficult and so is coming off as a proud child.
You probably wouldn’t use old-school phrases like “Wait until your father gets home” or “I wish you were more like your sister” with your kids. But there are lots of less obvious ones’ that you should avoid for their sake and yours.
Here is a list of few insensitive things that you should avoid saying to your child.
I was much more responsible when I was your age:
Comparing your child and giving him an example of what all you were capable of when you were a kid is the first big mistake parents make. A statement such as this will break your child’s confidence.
Why can’t you be more like your brother/sister?:
You don’t want your kid to harbor negative feelings for you, hence avoid comparing your kids.
You’re okay:
Your job is to help your child understand and deal with his/her emotions, not discount them. Try giving him a hug and acknowledging what he’s feeling.
Hurry Up:
If your child dawdles over her breakfast instead of pushing her to get a move on, soften your tone. You can also turn the act of getting ready into a game: “Why don’t we race to see who can eat first?
You should be ashamed of yourself:
This statement is outright harsh and saying such an awful thing to any child is simply ‘bad’. There are better and milder ways to make the child understand the difference between good and bad.
