So, I guess we can’t lecture our kids with information they already know.
Giving information is great and all – but it turns out that our kids are small humans (you didn’t know?!).
Guess what happens when you talk down to humans of any size?
That’s right. They think – that you think – they are stupid.
You come across as condescending.
It all reminds me of a discussion on the economy I once had. A man, who knew well my background, wanted to explain to me in a derogatory tone “how the economy actually works.”
And I still remember it after all these years…
Let’s not be condescending to our kids.
Caution. Refrain from giving the child information she already knows. For example, if you were to tell a ten-year-old, “Milk turns sour when it’s unrefrigerated,” she might conclude either that you think she’s stupid or that you’re being sarcastic.
-Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk (Amazon)