ABSTRACT
Most of us don’t handle criticism well, no matter how well-intentioned it may be. It tends to put the critic in a dominant position and most of us don’t like being one-down. In addition, al though criticism clarifies what we don’t want, it often doesn’t state what we are asking for. The criticized person feels put down or disrespected and may not know how to rectify things. Parents may feel that the solution is or should be obvious to their children and adolescents. If parenting is seen as primarily a job of teaching, it becomes clear that something more than pointing out shortcomings is often needed. This exercise encourages and reminds parents to go beyond criti cism and encourage the child toward more desirable behavior.
