These 9 habits of parents can ruin a child's mental health; a pediatrician advises stopping them immediately..
- byShikha Srivastava
- 19 Jan, 2026
Parenting Tips: In today's world, children must be strong not only physically but also mentally. However, parents sometimes unknowingly make mistakes that harm their child's mental health. Renowned pediatrician Ravi Malik shared a post on his Instagram handle, in which he highlighted nine such mistakes. The doctor says that some common habits of parents weaken children's self-confidence, emotional balance, and cognitive abilities. Therefore, it's essential to stop these habits immediately.
Number 1 - Frequent Scolding
The first mistake is frequent scolding and criticism. Constantly correcting and rarely praising makes the child feel that they are not good at anything. This shatters their self-confidence.
Number 2 - Comparing with Others
The second major mistake is constantly comparing children to others. Statements like, "That child is like this, why aren't you?" create feelings of inferiority and shame in children. Therefore, avoid comparing your child to others.
Number 3 - Ignoring Children's Emotions
The third mistake is ignoring children's emotions. When children cry or express their sadness, and parents ignore them or scold them, thinking it's just drama, the child feels that their feelings are worthless. This directly impacts their mental health.
Number 4 - Excessive Screen Time
The fourth bad habit is giving children too much screen time. Over time, this affects the child's attention span, sleep, and mood, and the child becomes detached from the real world.
Number 5 - Academic Pressure
The fifth major problem is excessive academic pressure. Constantly talking about marks, ranks, and performance makes the child live in a state of stress and fear.
Number 6 - Yelling at the Child
Yelling at a child or giving them harsh punishments instills fear in their mind. This causes the child's brain to remain stressed, and they are unable to learn things properly. Number 7 - Not spending quality time
Dr. Malik explains that simply being together is not enough; being emotionally present is also crucial. Otherwise, the child starts feeling lonely.
Number 8 - Constantly changing rules
The eighth mistake is constantly changing the rules. When household rules keep changing, the child becomes confused. This makes it difficult for them to understand what is right and what is wrong. As a result, they start considering many wrong things as normal.

Number 9 - Imposing your stress on children
Apart from all this, the ninth major mistake is imposing your stress and problems on your children. When parents repeatedly fight in front of their children or constantly share their problems with them, it negatively impacts the child's mental health. In such cases, the child suppresses their emotions, which can be harmful in the long run.
Dr. Malik says that children's mental health is strong only when they feel heard, understood, and safe. Therefore, paying attention to their behavior is extremely important for every parent.
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