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Why Parents Need to Think Before Using Words Like "Pretty" and "Smart"

Season 4 Episode 411
Aired on 09/28/2014 | CC tv-14
If your child told you, "I think I'm ugly" or "I think I'm dumb," how would you respond? Parenting expert Dr. Shefali Tsabary says many parents will tell their children just the opposite, saying, "no, you're really pretty," or "no, you're really smart." While this feels like a positive approach, Dr. Shefali says it's sending the wrong message to your child.

"The message we're giving them is that we ourselves have bought into beauty, and pretty, and ugly, and fat, and thin," Dr. Shefali says.

Watch to find out what she believes parents should tell their children instead.

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Join Dr. Shefali and other speakers—including Michael Bernard Beckwith and Tom Shadyac—at Evolve, a weekend of personal transformation, September 15-17 in Long Beach, California. Learn more about the event at Dr. Shefali.com.

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