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10 things you should never say to your kids

Published

8 years ago

July 27, 2016

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.

1. “Great Job.”: Research has shown that tossing out a generic phrase like “Good girl” or “Way to go” every time your child masters a skill makes her dependent on your affirmation rather than her own motivation.

2. “Practice makes perfect”: It’s true that the more time your child devotes, the sharper his skills will become. However, this adage can ramp up the pressure he feels to win or excel. It sends the message that if you make mistakes; you didn’t train hard enough.

Read also: 6 ways to handle anxiety on your first date

3. “You’re okay”: When your child scrapes his knee and bursts into tears, your instinct may be to reassure him that he’s not badly hurt. But telling him he’s fine may only make him feel worse.

4. “Hurry up”: Your child dawdles over her breakfast, insists on tying her own sneakers (even though she hasn’t quite mastered the technique yet), and is on pace to be late for school — again. But pushing her to get a move on creates additional stress.

5. “I’m on a diet”: Watching your weight? Keep it to yourself. If your child sees you stepping on the scale every day and hears you talk about being “fat”.

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