"Don't be a coward, you're a man": why you shouldn't say this phrase to your son and what to replace it with
Even modern parents who visit a psychologist and read specialized literature can use phrases that can negatively affect their children in the future.
One of these “cult” expressions is “Don’t be afraid, you’re a man!”
This phrase can instill in a child the idea that it is forbidden to feel fear, that because he is afraid of something, he immediately ceases to be courageous.
As a result, the child begins to suppress these feelings in order to avoid being mocked by his parents. Sometimes this leads to the development of neuroses.
Imagine a situation where your son is afraid to fall asleep if the room is dark.
Do you think that shock therapy, when adults leave a child alone in a dark room, will help him cope with fear?
Perhaps in some cases the child will be able to overcome his fear, but most likely, the fear of the dark will develop into a phobia.
You need to understand for yourself and convey to your children that it is completely normal to feel afraid of anything.
And to cheer up the little person, try saying, “It’s okay for you to be scared,” “We all feel scared sometimes,” “Let’s think together about how we can solve this problem.”
