A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11)

It’s easy to get “caught up” as a parent, in disciplining your child, particularly if they have a myriad of behavioral, emotional and social issues. We want our children to “be okay” when they grow up, so we stress certain behavior to them.

But one underutilized tool is the “word fitly spoken.” I see the effects my words have on the faces of all of my children. They can be crestfallen, or light up like the sky on the fourth of July!

Of course we tell our children we love them - hundreds of times a day maybe. But really looking them in the eye, and sincerely telling a child they s/he did a great job, or some other genuine bit of praise makes a child feel so good. It also serves as a motivator, because the child will want more of that good feeling, and will replace undesirable behaviors with desirable ones, in order to have that good feeling those words provide.

One of the best feelings is having a child look up at you with a beautiful, beaming, shining face because they are so pleased with themselves! I love knowing that my words can provoke that response. And, when I’ve had “one of those days,” I hate feeling like I’ve “ruined” my kids because I said something without thinking first!

As it is with many things in parenting, it’s your response to “the little things” that makes a lasting impression, because those, by sheer mathematics, is what you have more of!

The next time you have a little face looking up at you, awaiting your reaction to something that doesn’t have a spiritual consequence, try using “a word fitly spoken.”

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