Dad Tries Constructive Criticism

Category: Because I Said So

Constructive criticism backfires on Dad in this cartoonAhhh, the joys of being a parent. Constructive criticism backfires on Dad in this week’s Because I Said So comic strip. Check out our column on this subject, Constructive Criticism – Are Today’s Millennials too Thin-Skinned to Handle It? 

  • http://twitter.com/ChattyProf Ellen Bremen

    I love how the response to many people’s (not just millennials’) response to criticism is to criticize back. I teach my students that when people do this type of “kitchen sinking” (“I’ll throw something at you to defer that you just triggered me”–and it is often something from six months ago that they’ve stored up! Not always, but many times…), it’s perfectly fair to say, “We can schedule another discussion about your concern over my fly at 1 p.m. or even tomorrow. But for right now, we’re going to discuss that ‘B’ in PE because that’s the topic at hand.” That way, the person realizes that they aren’t exactly going to get out of the topic at hand. Ellen

    • http://www.brucesallan.com Bruce Sallan

      Good advice @twitter-278789906:disqus - will it work with my wife? She holds on to EVERYTHING!

  • Wallace1770Mary

    Kids are great at homing in on foibles. I myself had none. I do feel that God recognized I had enough duress dealing with my parents. My punishment and enlightenment came in the form of 2 careers. Professional violist, then later an IT engineer. Oh, did I mention I somehow managed to do these at the same time? Lots of room for confusion, catastrophe and of course, great stories. After a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth one evening when I had left IBM at noon to drive 3 hours, eat dinner and slide in under the down beat, we all stood as one, the symphony knowing we had hit one out of the park and it had been glorious. Caught up in the moment, adoring applause, tears in my eyes, so moved, I looked down, to see… Taco Bell smeared down the front of my black velvet evening gown. At that precise moment, I heard my stand partner gasp, “Good God, my fly is open!” Giggles, then suppressed hysteria ensued as we tried to bask in the glory of the moment. The look on your face up there reminded me of my good buddy stand partner.

    • http://www.brucesallan.com Bruce Sallan

      LOVE that story @Wallace1770Mary:disqus !!! Thx for sharing it!

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