When we hear our kids say something negative about themselves, sometimes we freak out a little. Where did they hear this? Where is this coming from? Who is messing with my baby? ! Most often, if a kid calls herself “stupid” because she’s frustrated with homework, she might just be venting. Or joking. She might be showing us that she has a little rigidity around perfection.  But when negative self-talk is insistent, consistent, and persistent, it can also be a sign of stress or anxiety.  In this episode we discuss how to better understand our kids’ negative self-talk, and the most productive ways of responding. There’s a bonus: turns out most of those strategies also work for our own “No, are you kidding? I look horrible, the pandemic has aged me a decade!” moments. Here are links to two resources we discuss in this episode:  Andrew M.I. Lee for Understood: Why Kids Say Negative Things About Themselves  https://www.understood.org/articles/en/child-negative-self-talk @transformingtoddlerhood on Instagram Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info. Skylight Frames is a touchscreen photo frame you can send photos to, straight from your phone, and they appear in seconds! Get $15 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go SkylightFrame.com/TODDLER.   KiwiCo - Unwrap super fun science, technology, and art projects for kids with KiwiCo. Get your first month FREE on ANY crate line at kiwico.com/TODDLER. Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER. Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices