What to Say to Your Kids vs What Not to Say

Words have a lot of power, especially those that are spoken by parents to their children. They create a great impact on their minds and lives and are stuck in their memories forever. Below is a list of a few phrases that you should avoid saying that can damage their self-esteem and belief systems.

Instead of saying “Stop crying”, say “Are you hurt?’, “What happened?”. If you tell them not to cry, they will create a perception that maybe their emotions are not that important or that they should stop feeling that way.

If you want longer and detailed answers from your kids try asking, “what was the best part of your day” instead of asking “How was your day?”

Stop telling your children “Don’t talk to me like that!” instead try to use words like “We’ll talk when you calm down and your tone is as quiet as mine” or “use kind words please”

Instead of telling your kid to “Stop running”. Use words like “Use your walking feet” or “Walk nicely”.

Bribing your kids is destructive. Do not say “if you clean up your room I will get you cake/chocolate” instead try “thank you for helping me clean up”. Such gratitude can motivate your children to do more.

Avoid saying “I could do that when I was of your age” and try saying “Let me teach you how it is done” because all kids develop according to their own pace so you cannot compare one with another.

Positive phrases can make communication with your child effective and can make a really lasting impact on your child and your relationship with them.