Tolerance and understanding - the complex issue of self-loathing

WHEN a child says ‘I’m stupid, I hate myself’, it can upset parents.

“They often feel very inadequate around their parenting skills. They wonder are they loving enough,” says parent and child therapist Helen Sholdice.

Such a negative, self-directed comment usually happens when a child is aged between six and nine, says Sholdice, because that’s when children become self-conscious.