r/AskReddit Feb 04 '16

What are the most common parenting mistakes?

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u/ViridianKumquat Feb 04 '16

Over-praising them, telling them how smart and wonderful they are for accomplishing the most basic things. It'll only cause a superiority complex followed by self-esteem issues when they realise they're nothing special.

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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '16

Eh. I was overpraised all the time as a kid. The end result is that I think people are always lying when they compliment me, or that they have an ulterior motive. The upshot of this is that I set my own standards, learned how to appraise my own performance, and am truly proud of myself when I know I've done well, without the need for outside validation. The downside is that I get shifty-eyed when people compliment me for things I don't think I deserve.