Being a parent is not easy. Having this thought in your mind creates a propensity to say or do things to convince your child that this is not a role that you welcome or enjoy. This is irrespective of whether you are 'merely joking' or your own personal feelings on the matter.

Adults have more sophisticated, three-dimensional and layered beliefs. Those beliefs can be distilled and communicated clearly between matured people. Children are more one-dimensional and have a simple, uncomplicated belief system. A parent who does not understand this creates a risk of alienating a child.

A young child is unable to comprehend sarcasm, innuendo, nor wit. Diverging from straightforward communication requires the parent to take a nurturing role to explain meaning and intent. Communicating negative emotional content without this guidance will guarantee that your intention and message will be misconstrued by your young child.

That child who comprehends a different meaning from your words, and sees you blowing hot and cold, will learn to question not the intent of the words but the very relationship they have with their parent. This will gestate in small ways but will grow over time. Eventually, that relationship may become dysfunctional. The child will grow up and will filter much of everything that is said, irrespective of the child's growing maturity of thought.

A parent who seeks to guide a child in a nurturing fashion first needs to resolve inner feelings of turmoil of being a parent. It is of course not easy, but it is a burden which will bear fruit in indirect ways. A parent need not let off steam and inadvertently offside their offspring with unintentional words. A parent should share the feelings of anxiety, frustration or guilt occasionally. Explain how it feels and what you are doing about it.

With an awareness that the ambiguity of words may extrapolate toward a dysfunctional relationship, a parent should be careful and process what is said from the perspective of the child. Using this perspective helps guide the parent into explaining the difference between what is said and what is meant.

Invest wisely into the relationship with your child, and grow it with kind nurturing and honest communication. Complicating it with sarcasm or innuendo creates further obstacles for your relationship with your child.