tough love
noun/ˌtʌf ˈlʌv/
/ˌtʌf ˈlʌv/
[uncountable]- the fact of helping somebody who has problems by dealing with them in a strict way because you believe it is good for them
- While he may generally be a liberal parent, where drugs are concerned he believes in tough love.
- There are occasions when only tough-love solutions will work.
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tough love