Stop saying these phrases if you don't want to lose your child's trust
Words that destroy trust between parents and children (Photo: Magnific)
Trust between parents and children is built not through grand gestures but through everyday communication. The words parents choose, the way they react, and whether a child feels truly heard all shape the strength of that relationship. That's why knowing how to listen, being emotionally present, and admitting your own mistakes are often more important than trying to be the perfect parent.
Educator and psychologist Liubov Rudnytska explained which words can quietly destroy a child's trust and what helps preserve it.
Trust is built in ordinary moments
When we think about losing trust, we often imagine major conflicts or traumatic events. In reality, trust rarely disappears overnight. More often, it fades gradually through everyday words, reactions, and seemingly insignificant moments.
According to Liubov Rudnytska, sometimes it's enough to repeatedly tell a child, "Not now," scroll through your phone while they're trying to tell you something, or dismiss their feelings by saying, "You're overreacting."
For an adult, these may seem like minor moments during a stressful day. For a child, however, they become signals that their feelings, thoughts, and experiences don't really matter.
It's these small, seemingly insignificant interactions that either build trust or slowly create emotional distance between parents and children.
Love and trust aren't the same thing
Many parents believe that if a child knows they are loved, trust will naturally follow. But according to Rudnytska, love alone doesn't guarantee openness.
A child may deeply love their parents yet still be afraid to share their struggles if they expect criticism, judgment, shame, or punishment for being honest.
Over time, children become less willing to talk about what's bothering them, not because they have nothing to say, but because they no longer feel emotionally safe enough to be open.
What hurts most isn't conflict; it's loneliness
Many adults seek therapy because of anxiety, low self-esteem, or relationship difficulties. In many cases, those struggles can be traced back to childhood, when they didn't feel heard or understood.
According to Rudnytska, what hurts children most isn't conflict itself but the feeling of emotional loneliness even when they're surrounded by the people closest to them.
Perfect parents don't exist
The psychologist emphasizes that striving for perfection only puts unnecessary pressure on parents. Every family experiences exhaustion, frustration, and moments when hurtful words are spoken.
What truly matters is what happens afterward.
Being able to admit mistakes, tell your child, "I'm sorry, I was wrong," listen without judgment or lectures, and stay emotionally present after conflict helps rebuild trust. These actions show children that their feelings matter and that home is a safe place where honesty is welcomed.
How children will remember their parents
Children are unlikely to remember what they had for dinner on an ordinary day or what grade they received years ago. What they will remember is how they felt around their parents.
Did they feel safe enough to cry without being judged? To make mistakes without feeling ashamed? To talk openly about their emotions without fearing criticism? To simply be themselves without constantly trying to earn love and approval?
Those are the moments that build lasting trust the kind that doesn't disappear with time and often shapes the parent-child relationship well into adulthood.
Liubov Rudnytska believes that the most important goal isn't to raise a perfect child but to become the kind of person they will want to turn to with their joys, mistakes, and struggles not only as children but throughout their adult lives. That, she says, is the true sign of trust.
