Your Words Matter

Standing ten feet away from the microwave, my five year old would giggle and say that she couldn’t see the time and needed to get closer to read it. Turns out that it wasn’t a joke; she really did have trouble reading the time and anything else that wasn’t up close. Her pediatrician confirmed this at her well child check-up. We received a referral to see an ophthalmologist and at that appointment, I was reminded of just how easily my words could have an affect on my child.

A few seconds after the doctor began testing her, and she had already called a few wrong letters, we began discussing some of the things I may have noticed at home. At that time, I brought up the microwave example. Those little ears were picking up everything because immediately, she began to repeat what I just said, although she selected what she wanted to repeat. Maybe she has selective hearing?

She stopped trying to see what was in front of her; she only wanted to voice that she couldn’t see. At that moment, I immediately realized how powerful and impactful my words are on her. I simply stated that she’d recently had trouble reading times on the microwave but she took that to mean that she couldn’t see and started to believe and act as if she couldn’t. Wow.

Have you spoken something to or around your child that has had an effect on them? Was it positive or negative? As parents, we have to realize that those little ears are always around listening and ready to soak up any information that they can receive, whether they should be listening or not and whether or not we think they are paying attention.

Today, let’s choose to speak life, encouragement and love into the soul and spirit of our children.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder of the impact that I have on my children. Help me to be mindful of what I say and do so that my ways my affect them positively and point them towards you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.