Do you label your kids?

Do you label your kids?

I do. I label my two kids. They're: happy, cheerful, adventurous, good, helpful, beautiful, wonderful, sweet, creative, friendly, brilliant, clever ...

I make sure I use positive terms as much as possible whenever I refer to them.

I know of one little girl who was labelled "black face" by her parent, because she was unhappy & her facial expression showed it clearly. To me, every child should generally be happy & contented. If not, the caregiver should try to find out the underlying cause & help the child manage his emotions. Scolding & negative labelling (eg lazy, stupid, useless, ugly, clumsy, naughty) is not constructive. In fact it could cause long-term detrimental effects.

As parents, we have to observe the kids, feel them, understand them, then guide them. Taking a shortcut by jumping to conclusions or passing hurtful remarks does not help in showing our kids that we really care. 

I think it is crucial to build a loving parent-child relationship, especially when the child is young & vulnerable. It is an important foundation for their life & their future.

As a parent, your words are more powerful than you thought. Your remarks or "labelling" could build or break, which do you choose?