What you say to your child can be a really big deal. They start to grow up into being the people you raise them to be. And they might not be able to grasp the meaning of everything that you day but they also won't let a rude comment pass. Hence, it's always very crucial to use your words correctly when around a child and to make sure you don't use harsh words and statements that can live in their minds forever and affect their mental health or growth.
Here is a list of things that you shouldn't tell your kids:
- "You're fat": This is something that you shouldn't tell anyone, regardless of the person being a child or no. And especially when you want to deal with your child's growth, physically, you must never pass such comments as it's downright rude and unnecessary. You can rather encourage them in other ways to stay fit and follow healthy eating habits and support them with the right guidance.
- "Stop crying": Has saying this to your child actually helped you? Do they stop crying instantly once you ask them to? It doesn't work like that. Your child feels certain emotions and something that must have hurt them has lead them to crying. And you should by all means let them feel what they're feeling and finish crying instead of suppressing those feelings.
- "Your sibling is better than you": If you're someone who's trying to raise your kid the right way at all times, the first thing you should drop is comparison of any sort. And comparing them to their sibling is the worse thing that you must be doing to affect their growth. They're two different people with two different individuality. Don't give them a reason to feel inferior to their own sibling.
- "That's what girls/boys do": Don't set a limit for your child to do something based on their gender. Your child will grow up to keep believing in poisonous societal standards. The society is going to be enough of a hurdle for them already, you don't need to add to those hurdles as parents.
- "You're way better than that kid": Just like you can't compare your child with their siblings, you can't let them feel superior to others too. There are many other ways to encourage and motivate as well as appreciate your child for the things that they do. Comparing them with some other kid and putting someone else down to make your kid feel good is a wrong approach.
