Whether you're a parent, relative or work in childcare; everyone who's ever had to deal with young kids knows how frustrating it can be at times to get them to behave.
Although it can be tempting to get cross at a misbehaving child and shout at them when they step out of line (and let's face it, there are plenty of children that love causing chaos and terrorizing their peers), a parenting expert from Australia has revealed that no matter what happens, you should never refer to a child as 'naughty'. Check out the video below:
Csilla Love is a parenting coach and mum-of-two from New South Wales, Australia, who has managed to build a considerable following online with her viral TikTok videos in which she shares childcare tips and encourages her followers to become 'conscious parents'.
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In one video, the parenting coach explained that as parents, we often tend to get frustrated with our children - which is understandable - but often struggle to realise that a child's developing sense of self is completely separate from their behaviour.
The easiest way to deal with mischief is to scold the offending child and tell them that their behaviour is 'bad' and that they are being 'naughty'
But from a child's perspective, being called 'naughty' often makes them think that that's the only thing their parents will see them as is a troublemaker.
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"This has a huge impact on their self-esteem, their friendships and their relationship with you," she explained.
She then added that if a child hears something about themselves often enough that they will start to believe it and begin acting accordingly, and that it can take years of self-reflection and 'inner child therapy' to undo the damage that such labels can cause.
After all, parents are the ultimate authority figure to small children, so if one or both of them consistently refers to the child as 'naughty' or a troublemaker, who are they to question such logic?
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Elsewhere on her channel Csilla also posts videos offering additional advice on common parenting pitfalls, offering explainers on topics such as the effects of constant yelling, how to effectively deal with meltdowns and how to utilize logical consequences to enforce good behaviour in children.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Children