We all know the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” And while this may be the case for adults (but not always), unfortunately, when it comes to our children, it’s just not true. The words we use with our children when they are displaying challenging behaviour can be just as damaging as if we were smacking them. Scientists have found that the same areas of the brain light up when we experience psychological pain from verbal punishment as when we experience physical pain. That’s why it is so important to choose the right words when speaking to our children. In this week’s podcast episode Dr Justin Coulson explains the 7 things we should never say to our children and what to say (or do) instead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.