This blog post is part 2 of how we as parents should speak to our children. Part 1 can be found here. I love what this quote from Brooke Hampton says as to how we should speak to them – “as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth ….” And then, based on what we say to them, their belief system in themselves is being created: “what they believe is what they will become.”
Proverbs 23:7 says that “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” A child often believes or thinks what he has been told, whether it is the truth or not.
As parents, we develop in our children what they will think about themselves. If we notice and react to our children’s faults right away and then criticize or punish them, we are developing in our children the tendency to be critical about themselves. Make a commitment to change that. Actively look for what your children are doing right each day and praise them for it. When the time comes that you will have to deal with something that they did that was unacceptable, the positive words will outweigh the negative ones.
When you are speaking words of kindness, encouragement, and love, make a point of stopping what you are doing and focus on them. Have them stop what they are doing too. Get their attention. After speaking these words, observe what happens to their demeanor. They will light up! It’s as if the most important person in the world (well you are to them) truly believed in them. What could be more important?
Ask yourselves: aren’t your children, in fact, the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth to you?The answer is clearly “yes”.So let’s speak to them as they deserve to be spoken to!