The 7 Surprising Habits That Might Be Driving Your Children Away — And How to Stop Them Now
If we want to stay close to our kids as they grow older, we need to make them feel safe sharing with us. That starts with listening without judgment and validating how they feel, even when we don’t fully understand.
3) Criticizing more than appreciating
The human brain is wired to focus more on negative experiences than positive ones. It’s called negativity bias, and it means that criticism tends to stick with us much longer than praise.
As parents, it’s easy to slip into the habit of pointing out what our children could do better—how they manage their money, raise their kids, or handle their career. But if most of our interactions focus on what they’re doing wrong, they’ll start to associate us with negativity.
