The Power of Words when Talking to your Child
Our children want more than just presents; they need our presence in their lives. Do you know the importance of talking to your child? Well, I will be the first to tell you that the benefits are many. As parents, I want you to know that you should never underestimate the power of talking to your child and never forget that the things we say to our children can either make them or break them. I write to you as a teacher, a mother, and a role model for many children who I taught. My experience has helped me to understand the power of words and the impact that it has on our children today. You see, our children feed on what we say to them, and some of the times they turn out to be the exact person whom we said that they would become.
How your words affect your child
As an educator, I always tell my students that they are “superstars” and they can be anything they want to be. It encourages them to do the best that they can do. But, what if I was telling them every day they were “no good” or that “they will not become anything in life.” Do you think that they would have put out the same effort? Well, maybe a few of them would, but the majority of them would be crushed and demotivated.
As parents, we need to put out the same effort. Talk to your children! Motivate them! Let them know that they are “superstars” and they can be anything that they want to be. Trust me, they will believe you. When children know that their parents accept and understand them, they accept themselves, and they understand what is expected of them and will behave accordingly. So parents, please encourage and support your child.
Often we look at the things that are happening with our children as it relates to the relationship with their peers, violence in school, teenage pregnancy, etc… And we bash them, we say that they are “bad” and they are disgraceful.
However, the reality is that many parents do not sit with their child or children to discuss some of these issues, they do not educate them about these problems and their consequences. That is something that must be done so that our children know what can happen if they decide to take the wrong path in life.
There are many things that parent can say to their children that will break them to pieces. For example, “You are an idiot,” “You are not smart!” or “Why can’t you be just like your brother?” Parents please do not ever say these things to your child. These words can negatively affect your child. When children hear these statements, they grow up feeling as if they are “useless” and you find that these are the same children who make bad decisions in their lives.
Again let me remind you that words are powerful and it is very important that you talk to your child every day but do not forget that you should say positive things to them. Things that will motivate them, things that will encourage them, and things that will make them grow. When all is said and done, we want our children to become better members of society and “make this nation a better place to live, work, raise families, and do business.”
Author Bio
Susy Richards is a lovely mother of 3 girls (3 years, 4, and 5) and a simple woman who is ready to share her priceless experience with other mommies around the world. She is an Advanced Practice Provider who completed birth doula and postpartum doula courses at Childbirth International in 2013. She is passionate about providing holistic care and is involved in pregnancy research. Susy enjoys trips to the beach with her husband Erick, and spending time with family and friends. 😉 She is a fresh mommy blogger and currently publishes her articles concerning pregnancy on rocketparents.com.
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Isabelle Clover says
Hello Julie
I am not a perfect mother and, although I may rue that fact, I understand that perfection in life is not possible. I enforce rules in our household, sometimes very rigidly. As much as I don’t like being inflexible, sometimes it’s necessary to be just that, particularly when it comes to the safety of young children. In my opinion the bigger problem is the ascendancy of work life over family life, which leaves many mothers and fathers with little time to spare for either their child or themselves. With only so many minutes in each day, the task of hands-on nurturing of even the youngest babies may be allotted an “x” number of minutes a day. By “hands-on nurturing,” I refer to talking, cuddling, carrying, hugging, kissing, and simply interacting with a child on a one-on-one basis. During limited periods of time, parents often try to maximize the quality of their interaction with their child. Hence, the term “quality time” has emerged to express not only the efforts parents make to be available to their child, but also to clarify the great value of their time, no matter how brief it is. Time spent with a child, after all, defies the work culture that demands that work takes precedence over all else, including the care of young children.
Best of luck to you and your family.
Samantha @ Momma Wants Java says
I can’t imagine ever saying some of these things to my children, even when I’m mad or they’re in trouble. I want them to know that at all times they are good people and they are loved. This is a great reminder for everyone that the little ones always hear you! 🙂
Erin @ Stay at Home Yogi says
Great reminders in this post! It breaks my heart to think of kids being spoken to in some of these ways. 🙁 It really can have such long lasting effects. I always talk to my son about how some of his behaviors and/or choices being bad, but I always let him know HE is a good boy and I love him very much no matter what!
Julie says
Thanks Erin! That is a very important distinction for little ones to understand, bad actions don’t mean they are a bad person.
Alexis @FITnancials says
This goes for how you talk to yourself, too! I’ve noticed people talk badly about themselves in front of their children, and I saw it in my mom growing up, and I think it had a lot to do with my insecurity issues. Someone is always watching.
Julie says
That is an excellent point! Someone is always watching.
Nikki Crump says
This is so true. I try to remind myself of this daily.