“First you let her know how you feel, and then you give her the words she can use to express herself without irritating you. It can be tricky, because you really do have to bite your tongue to some extent. Kids can’t take too much disapproval, even when you’re gentle about it. The younger they are, the less they can handle. “But they do need to know when the words they use result in a resentful parent. That’s valuable information! If we take abuse with a sympathetic smile, we’re teaching them the wrong lesson.”
