#743: Disciplining or Naming

Are you disciplining your son, or are you naming him? Many parents are guilty of using phrases like this with our son: “You are so messy” or “You are so disrespectful to me.” But family therapist David Thomas reminds us that, to our boy, it may sound like we are “naming” him. And hearing those phrases can lead a boy to believe that he is simply a messy or disrespectful person. Instead, David suggests reframing the situation by saying: “Son, I’ve noticed you’re stuck in a pattern of disrespect...