The first day of April may be an excuse to pull harmless pranks on people. Even kids are not spared from this day of fun and laughter.  

When involving kids in particular, remember that not all pranks can be easily wiped out with a simple, “This is just a joke.”

Offer a sense of safety and security to your children by completely avoiding these pranks today, in all their formative years and beyond:

“I talked to your real parents yesterday.”

“You were sold by your real parents to us due to poverty.”

Families have timeless pranks about a person’s birth, origin, or background.

Parents may have heard or come up with stories about their or any child’s real vs. foster parents – their biological parents giving them up for money, or leaving them as an infant on the doorstep.

There are two reasons why these are unacceptable: first, these stories are other kids’ realities and should never be casually offered as a joke; second, the damage that these will cause on kids is irreversible.

“Your adoption process is already in place.”

When a child takes time to change his socially unacceptable behavior, parents sometimes press the button on alternate parenting.

Some parents might have threatened their kids by giving them up for adoption, telling grave lies like sending them to some faraway land with a foster family or parental figures who will take them under their wing.

This weakens children’s self-worth in consequence, prompting them to think of his parents as non-committal or nonchalant.

“I’ll bring you to the police station now for what you did.”

When Filipino parents fail to exercise control, they sometimes make use of strategies like intervention from the law or divine beings.

Some may even extend the drama to have kids jailed by the police or punished by God, giving them the impression that these icons can make them miserable if they commit trouble.

In turn, they will fear these figures throughout their lives instead of emulating them or taking after them.

“I love your sibling / cousin / friend more than I love you.”

“Because of what you did, I don’t love you anymore.”

When a child doesn’t catch up with what his parents want, he is programmed to think that making mistakes will let them lose affection towards him. Also, being compared to one’s classmates and peers makes him think that he is not and was never good enough—even as a grown-up.

These toxic attitudes put kids in a position where he fears failure and not meeting his parents’ standards. Parents who pull this prank pose more danger than discipline, making their kids take these words to heart.

Raising kids requires patience and mindful parenting, and every step and stride that a parent takes is essential to their kids’ growth.

This April Fool’s Day and beyond, remember that teasing or taunting kids is one way to wipe out their sense of self and trust. What’s amusing to adults can be completely annoying to the young, and attacking them with the intent to inculcate discipline can damage their childhood.

Moms and Dads, always mind what you’re saying to your kids to keep them happy, healthy, and thriving.