No matter how old your child is, it’s best to Stop…and Think…before you say something.
You have to think about how your child might translate what you say, and how they may apply what you say to their self-description, which then becomes their self-talk.
Words dictate which direction behavior will go next. It’s “how” you say, what you say, that defines how your words will be taken.
Could the way you present your statement send the message that, “I am bad”, instead of “What I did was wrong?”
Could the way you present your statement send the message that,”I don’t deserve” instead of “I’m not allowed to have this.
One way of saying something attacks the spirit, and one way of saying something describes the action a child has taken.
So please, T.H.I.N.K. before you speak.