Huey’s Parenting Advice Featured in Fatherly

Melissa Huey, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, is quoted in the Fatherly article “Subtle Signs You’re a Hostile Parent.” Huey highlights two behaviors that children may perceive as hostile: yelling and sarcasm. Because these habits can be difficult to break, when parents do yell or use sarcasm Huey encourages them to show vulnerability, apologize, and explain to their children that even parents make mistakes.

“Healthy parenting requires vulnerability. Portraying yourself as a person who’s never wrong and never makes mistakes is a dangerous place to be because kids need to learn that you make mistakes too,” Huey says. “When you practice vulnerability, you’re also teaching kids that it’s okay for them to make mistakes, and you give them a template for what to do when they are in the wrong.”