Don't call my son naughty

Using such a negative label on kids may lead them to actually believe that about themselves

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"He's naughty mum, naughty, naughty, naughty," my fed-up daughter proclaims, as her younger brother body-slams himself into a Lego house she had spent the past half an hour building.

Honestly, I have no idea where she picked up that word. We make it a point never to use it at home.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on May 13, 2018, with the headline Don't call my son naughty. Subscribe