Be Careful, Be Brave
Spend time on any playground or park and you will hear adults (or even yourself) calling out to kids to “be careful”. We have the best of intentions and just want to keep our kids safe. We do not want our kids to get hurt. The internet is at our fingertips, telling us all of the terrible things that can happen to kids. We want them to be mindful of their surroundings. However, as great as our intentions are, telling our kids to “be careful” can actually be harmful to them. Here are four reasons why we should stop telling out kids to “be careful” and what to say to them instead.
Positive Self Talk
According to growkidsminds.com, we talk to ourselves more than all other conversations combined. Self-talk makes up 80% of all of our communication! Self-talk is your internal dialog. It can be both negative and positive. What you say to yourself and how you say it matters. It influences how you feel and what you do. Positive self-talk is often a coping strategy we teach children (and adults) in therapy to decrease anxiety and depression and improve overall mood.