When your child is cruel, it’s like a stab wound to the heart. But it’s important to keep in mind that it’s common for all kids, children usually do not have the sharpest ability (when they’re quite young) or impulse control (when they’re teens) to express their feelings articulately, so instead, they come out in a more extreme or exaggerated way. You must remain the adult in this situation. You need to talk to your child in an age-appropriate way that acknowledges his or her right to have feelings about you, but that you also have to take certain actions for his or her own good, whether it is liked or not.