What do you usually tell your child when he falls down? A lot of people will say something like "It's OK, nothing happened". And if there ever was a phrase that makes me queasy - it's that.
Why is it so wrong to tell your child (or anyone, actually) that "nothing happened" or "it's ok"? Because something DID happen. And if we fail to acknowledge that, we fail in one of parenting's most basic jobs - validating our child's emotions and teaching our child to understand his or her emotions.
In this episode, I explain exactly why it's so problematic and offer a simple formula that will help you remember how to respond better.
