By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
Does your child know what to say when he receives food, clothing or any other gift from you, that he doesn’t like?
Teach your child that kindness trumps “being smart,” “being right,” and in many cases, “just being honest.” For instance, after you’ve spent an hour making a delicious, nutritious dinner, you really don’t want to hear something like, “yech!” from your child, after he takes his first bite. His spouse won’t want to hear the adult equivalent of that kind of “feedback” either. Teach your child the kinder, more sensitive ways to indicate dislike (i.e. “Thank you so much for making it Mommy, but I really don’t like it so much.”). Also make sure your child knows when to say nothing at all (i.e. when he’s a guest at someone else’s table, he should refrain from commenting on food he doesn’t prefer, without giving feedback unless it is specifically asked for). The same sensitivity needs to be shown when rejecting any kind of gift given by you or anyone else. By teaching and emphasizing kindness and sensitivity as primary values in your home, you are helping to protect all of your child’s relationships throughout life.
