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From: mc68020@gilbbs.UUCP (Tom Keller)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Serious question
Message-ID: <51@gilbbs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Mar-86 15:08:46 EST
Article-I.D.: gilbbs.51
Posted: Sat Mar  8 15:08:46 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Mar-86 01:55:35 EST
References: <6458@utzoo.UUCP>, <1351@pyuxa.UUCP> <791@gamma.UUCP>
Organization: Gil's Place, Santa Rosa CA
Lines: 30

In article <791@gamma.UUCP>, tif@gamma.UUCP (Barbara Charles) writes:
> My grandmother always said and I'm sure everyone has heard it:
> 
> "If you don't have anything nice to say - DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL"

   I have always felt that this cute little phrase was intended to stifle any
form of criticism.  In particular, criticism of adults or adult behaviour
by children.  I object.

   While I confess that it can be very difficult to accept (believe me, I
*KNOW*), it is often the case the children have legitimate criticisms to make.
Stifling them harms them in at least two ways:

1)  it frusrates them unnecessarily, forcing them to internalize both their
    frustration *AND* their reaction to it

2)  It teaches children that criticism is a nasty, bad thing, to be avoided.
    This results in adults who have some pretty bizarre attitudes about
    criticism and self-expression.

-- 

====================================

Disclaimer:  I hereby disclaim any and all responsibility for disclaimers.

tom keller
{ihnp4, dual}!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020

(* we may not be big, but we're small! *)