6″I Sacrifice A Lot For You.”
Lots of mommy martyrs like to use this one. Of course you sacrifice a lot; you’re a mother. But your children didn’t ask to be here. They didn’t ask you to have them. Reminding them that you sacrifice a lot for them makes you the queen of guilt trips and can make your children feel like they owe you something for being a mother.
7″Leave Me Alone.”
We all need quiet time as parents, but you should say that instead. “Mommy needs a little break.” “Mommy is going to have some alone time.”
8″I Never Get Time To Myself.”
Again, sanctimommy words. There’s literally no reason to say this to your child. You’re going to make them feel bad if they’re old enough to process that statement, or you’re just putting it in their head that they are a nuisance.
9″Stop Asking Me Questions.”
It’s annoying, I know. But you want your kids to be curious. You want them to question their surroundings, to ask you about things they hear and see.
10″Get Over It.”
You’re basically telling your child that their feelings don’t matter and that they need to hurry up and move past a situation. Unfair.
11″It’s Not A Big Deal.”
But everything is a big deal to kids. Literally, everything. If they finish a puzzle, if their ice cream cone falls to the floor, and seeing a giraffe at the zoo — all enormously big deals.
12″Don’t Be So ___.”
Shy. Bratty. Rude. Talkative. Loud. This is your child. They are going to do things and say things and sometimes you’re not going to like it. But telling them not to be something doesn’t help. You can ask them to “be more grateful” instead of saying, “don’t be so rude.” It’s all about positive reinforcement.
13″I Don’t Care.”
Whether it’s about their friend at recess that ate a wood chip or that they are now a Buzz fan instead of Woody, it’s important to them. It’s important that they share things with you, that they ask you what you think. They want you to be just as excited as they are, so muttering that you don’t care makes them feel like their thoughts are pointless. If you don’t care, why should anyone else?
