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“Mom, are you being nice or are you being mean? I’m trying to be nice, so you need to try too.”
— A precocious little girl in a viral moment of emotional wisdom
We often say that children live in the space between their parents—not just physically, but emotionally. They soak up tone, body language, eye rolls, silence, and especially reactivity. Long before they have the language to describe it, they feel everything.
Children Feel What We Don’t Say
You don’t need to shout to create tension in a home. Children sense it in the sighs, the sarcasm, the quick responses, the cold shoulders. Even the absence of kindness speaks volumes. A child may not understand the details of an argument, but they feel the distance.
And in the absence of understanding, they do what kids do best: they make meaning.
They internalize.
They wonder if it’s their fault.
Or they become little fixers, little caretakers, trying to manage what isn’t theirs to carry.
That’s why the young girl in this touching video is so poignant. With innocence and clarity, she says:
“I’m trying to be nice… so you need to try too.”
She’s not talking about winning an argument. She’s talking about relational safety in families. She’s asking for attunement. And isn’t that what we’re all longing for?
Imago Therapy Creates Safe Space—for Everyone
In Imago couples therapy, partners learn to slow down. To listen deeply. To respond instead of react. We teach a structured dialogue process for emotional healing that helps each partner feel heard without judgment—and in doing so, we create something incredibly powerful: a space of safety, empathy, and emotional connection.
This doesn’t just benefit the couple—it reshapes the environment their children grow up in.
- When a parent learns to say “I see how that hurt you,” a child witnesses relationship repair and empathy.
- When a parent regulates their tone and breath before responding, a child learns emotional regulation skills.
- When a couple begins modeling “being nice, not being mean,” the home becomes a space where kindness in parenting and partnership is the norm—not the exception.
From Couples to Communities
The effects don’t stop at the doorstep. When couples become more connected, they become better co-parents, better friends, better community members. Their emotional availability expands. Their ability to tolerate discomfort without shutting down or lashing out grows.
And children who grow up in emotionally healthy homes? They bring that energy into classrooms, friendships, and future relationships.
This is the ripple effect of Imago therapy. It starts in the quiet moments between two people—and reaches farther than we can imagine.
Modeling What We Want to See
That’s why healing relationships through Imago therapy can transform the emotional climate of an entire household. And that’s where Imago Relationship Therapy for families becomes so much more than a tool for couples—it becomes a gift to the whole family emotional ecosystem.
The world is watching us—but more importantly, our children are watching us.
When we choose empathy in relationships over defense, when we say, “Tell me more” instead of “You always…,” when we let go of the need to be right in favor of the desire to be close—we model something priceless.
We show our children that healthy relationships take work and heart.
We show them that being human includes hurting and healing—and that relationship growth is possible.
A Gift to Your Family—and Yourself
Imago Relationship Therapy for parents and couples is more than a method. It’s an invitation to grow love from the inside out. To raise children in a home where emotional safety and kindness are practiced, not just preached. And to be the kind of adult who can respond to a child’s plea—“Try to be nice”—with a wholehearted, “I’m trying. And I’ll keep trying.”
Because when we heal ourselves and our relationships, we’re not just helping this generation.
We’re helping the next one too.
Want to Learn More?
If you’re a parent, a couple, or even just a human trying to be nicer—not meaner—we’d love to walk with you on this journey. Imago therapy for emotional connection can help you build the kind of home, relationship, and legacy that love longs for.
👉 Contact Caroline to schedule a consultation or explore our upcoming Imago workshops for families and couples.
