How To Help Children And Youth That Are Sarcastic Or Critical
Frequent
Without help, sarcasm and being critical can lead to isolation, loneliness and being unable to interact and learn from others successfully. Consider this behavior as communication, telling you that something is bothering the child or youth. When children or youth use criticism and sarcasm frequently, they are often letting you know that they do not feel understood, appreciated, listened to, or important. Child & youth sarcasm and criticism can be considered as ineffective ways of asking for help and assistance. Adults can see the signals that something the child or youth cannot talk about is bothering them. Sarcasm can be due to and complicated by a combination of: depression, anxiety or other mental illness; low self-esteem; being anxious; lack of effective communication skills; lacking confidence; lacking acknowledgement for talents and successes; over expectations or under expectations; isolation; family patterns and modeling; addicted parents; lack of meaningful activities; nutritional imbalances; exposure to environmental pollutants.
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First, We Would Investigate |
Second, We Would Investigate |
For Long Term Support |
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On Our Own We Would Try: • Less or No TV, Movies, Video/Computer Games • Bedtime Stories and Chats • Wholesome Pleasures • Back Rubs and Foot Massages • Replace sodas, juices, sugars, fats, fast foods with water, veggies, whole grains, nuts, protein, fruit, slow food • Long Walks/Hikes • Nature • Pets |
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For Parents: • Learn and use Nonviolent Communication to respond to child or youth sarcasm and criticism. • Make sure there is enough unstructured family time without distractions, so that conversations can happen easily. • Regular enjoyable family physical activity can relieve some of the tension and promote friendly communication. • Parenting classes can help establish new communication patterns. |