Wait Until Your Father Gets Home!

Great Job! I’ll tell you why to STOP saying that to your kids...

It’s second nature for parents to praise their kids when they do something right – but some of us do that a little too often. When we toss that phrase for every drawing or finished glass of milk, it loses its value for the important stuff. Here is a list of some more things we shouldn’t say, according to Parenting.com:

• “Leave me alone!” Every parent needs some down time. Take a minute to explain that to them instead of barking out a “Don’t bother me” or “I’m busy.”

• “You're so...” Labeling kids can really undermine them, especially young children. They believe what you say they are. They also overhear us categorizing them to other people. If you’re telling someone your kid is shy, clumsy or hyper – you’re really saying it right to the child.

• “Don't cry.” Telling our kids not to be sad, mad or afraid doesn’t help. Some children cry when they can’t articulate an emotion. Help them try and explain what they’re feeling.

• “Why can't you be more like your sister?” Comparisons almost always backfire. Comparing your child to someone else implies that you wish yours were different.

• “You know better than that!” Actually, they might not. Children learn from their mistakes. If it wasn’t intentional, use it as a teaching opportunity.

• “I'll give you something to cry about!” Threats don’t work either, unless you’re prepared to follow through on them. Some kids will test boundaries and may take empty threats as a challenge.

• “Wait until your father gets home!” It’s a throwback phrase – and it’s not a very effective one. Not taking action on bad behavior immediately just makes matters worse – and passing the buck to someone else undermines your authority.

• “Hurry up!” When we whine or screech phrases like that we might make them feel bad – but it doesn’t necessarily motivate them to move any faster.