Source: MSN News
BY Charlotte Hilton Andersen, Jessica Booth
This phrase may be okay to use when your tone is compassionate, but issues can arise if it comes off as angry or annoyed. “When a trusted adult-a person upon whom the child is dependent for everything-indicates that something is wrong with the child, a child will internalize this and believe it. They will ask themselves what is wrong with them-and they won’t be able to find the answer.” explains Karyl McBride, Ph.D., L.M.F.T., a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. “They may rely on their limited life experience and knowledge, and likely come up with something that is wrong, and that can have a lasting effect. Sometimes it will be something quite broad, like, ‘I am not good enough,’ or, ‘I am a bad person.’ The devastation of these kinds of internalized messages can take a lifetime to get over, even with therapy,” she notes.
Categories: Parenting, Psychology