Carly the Strange

They are learning that the people we love are targets for criticism the moment they leave the room.

You think it's just harmless venting. A quiet phone call while they play nearby.

You believe they don't understand the adult complexities.

Let's call it what it really is.

You are not just talking. You are teaching them your definition of loyalty.

In those moments, you teach them that affection and judgment can come from the same mouth.

You teach them that relationships are conditional, and trust is something that evaporates with distance.

You are damaging the very concept of a safe, authentic friendship.

This is how you raise an adult who is deeply insecure, always wondering what is being said about them when they walk away.

Or worse, an adult who perpetuates this cycle, unable to form genuine bonds because they only know how to connect through criticism.

Speak of others as if they are in the room.

Model the integrity you want your child to embody. The most powerful lesson on loyalty is taught in the whispers they were never meant to overhear.