The Destructive Power of Always and Never

We’ve talked about words and phrases that don’t serve connection before. The word “should” is one to avoid, as are “you” statements and empty praise but what about seemingly innocuous words like “always” and “never”? Sure there are perfectly reasonable uses for these words that don’t cause any trouble. “I will always love you,” for example.

But if we really sit down and analyze our uses of these two words, we are likely to find that they’re often inaccurate and they most certainly invite argument. Let’s take a common example from my own experience, “You never have your shoes on when it’s time to leave the house!” read more

So what exactly AM I supposed to say to my child now?

Photo by Suzette Hibble www.thebayareaphotographer.com

Some of the recent research on the psychology of children is showing that saying things like, “You’re so smart! Good job! And He’s so cute!” can actually harm a child’s emerging sense of self-confidence. Apparently when we tell a child she’s smart because she got an A on her report card, she automatically associates the two and begins to think that if she doesn’t get an A, she’ll no longer be considered “smart.”

In an effort to encourage more internal motivation and less dependence on external validation, researchers and other experts are recommending that we remove this kind of empty praise from our vocabulary with our kids. read more