Long before your kids were born, you probably made a long list of things you would never do to them. But when you're feeling tired and frustrated, it's so easy to let the old parenting clichés slip off your tongue. Truth is, idle threats and resorting to old-fashioned scare tactics get you nowhere. Instead, why not try to focus on bolstering your tot's self-esteem and rewarding good? Yes, it's a bit more work, but it'll leave both you and your child feeling happier. So skip the tough talk.
1. ‘WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE MORE LIKE YOUR BROTHER?’
Comparisons like this only serve to exacerbate sibling rivalry. “A child being compared like this will develop an enormous resentment towards his sibling, and possibly unconsciously set out to be as different from his brother as he possibly series of books. “It also puts pressure on the seemingly ‘perfect’ sibling to keep up those expectations. Sadly, what emerges is the typical pattern of the ‘good’ child and the ‘difficult’ or ‘bad’ child. Living up to these prescribed roles only ends in unfortunate self-fulfilling prophecies.”