There is no shortage of parenting advice out there. Its quality varies, and its application varies.
I’ve also figured out that many of the pieces that are excellent are applicable to all humans, not just little ones.
Avoid saying “be careful.”
Why?
It’s useless.
Give specifics. What do you actually want them to watch out for?
For example: be careful crossing the street.
Instead: Cross the street at the corner. Remember to look both ways before you cross, wait for cars to go before you go, and walk.
Yeah, that’s a lot of directions. If they don’t have those in place already, maybe they’re not ready to take that one on alone.
Much of the time, when we tell someone to be careful, it’s not because we think they need the reminder but because we’re trying to do something with our own anxiety about their safety.
So instead of telling them to be careful, tell yourself to be calm, give useful directions if needed, and on we go.
