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Children Do Not Mind Criticism
Children are unaffected by their parents' arguing, as long as the atmosphere in the family home is mostly happy and loving, researchers have found. Scientists in Switzerland also say that as long as parents praise their children, the youngsters do not mind the odd criticism - even if their behaviour, character and appearance were the focus of the disapproval. Some 400 families were questioned as part of the study, carried out by researchers at the University of Zurich and the State University of New York. Many parenting experts have previously theorised that that persistent criticism from parents can breed resentment and defiance, as well as undermining a child's initiative, self-confidence and sense of purpose. Other research has concluded that girls can be especially sensitive to criticism and from witnessing arguments, while parental disputes can impair a child's development and emotional security.
But the Swiss scientists found that children were largely immune to criticism from their parents, as long as positive comments outnumbered the negatives by a ratio of two to one, according to The Times. The researchers also discovered that children were able to cope with arguments between their parents, provided that the squabbling was outweighed by mothers and fathers treating each other with kindness and supportive behaviour. Those behind the study had wanted to establish why, if many parents are prone to criticising their children, only a comparative few suffered lasting damage from this. 'Interparental conflict is an unavoidable part of normal family life, but parents should seek to outnumber them by instances of supportive behaviour,' the authors said.
'Our findings further support the notion that parents should not repress their differences of opinion, but they should learn to communicate and work through their disagreements within a supportive and positive family environment.' Written By Lucy Crossley Retrieved From:
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