By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
Criticism is an important tool - to avoid!
Teens, adult children and spouses, are particularly sensitive to critical remarks. Younger children don't like them either, but aren't as likely to completely withdraw even when they receive too many. Older people, however, commonly avoid the company of critical people. How do you know if you're too critical? See if anyone is avoiding you!
We all have bad moods from time to time...
How we respond to bad news shows our children how to respond to bad news. Of course, bad news varies in its intensity. We might learn that the color we wanted in a car we are purchasing is no longer available. Or we might learn that someone we care about is seriously ill. Some of us might respond intensely to both types of scenarios, giving the impression to our children that life is filled with "tragedy." We may have even learned this style from our own parents. Since we tend to respond automatically, we may never have considered what message we may be sending. Training ourselves to respond with faith and optimism will not put an end to appropriate feelings of grief and concern, but will certainly put an end to unnecessary stress and negativity. It will be good for both us and our children!
