Ten Ways Parents Harm Their Kids (Without Even Realizing It)

As a parent, I “blow it” pretty much everyday in some way. Sometimes it’s when I lose my temper and yell at the kids. Other times, it’s when I burp out loud at the dinner table right after I’ve scolded one of my boys for doing the same thing.

With most of my parenting blunders, I’m instantly aware of the mistake which gives me the opportunity to apologize and try to correct it, but I’ve found that some of the most dangerous parenting mistakes aren’t obvious. They’re subtle and stealthy. This makes them even more dangerous, because we can go on doing them for years without even realizing we’re harming our kids in the process!

As I worked with families from all walks of life, I’m convinced that the list below represents some of the most common and most destructive parenting mistakes. I’m not writing this as an “expert,” but just as a Dad who is in the trenches of parenthood and desperately trying to get this right for the sake of my kids and future generations of my family.

If you’re a parent too, let’s commit to stopping these behaviors and being the best we can be for our kids!

I’m convinced that the ten most common ways parents harm their children without even realizing the harm they’re doing are (in no particular order)…