What Words Are You Speaking To Your Child?

What Words Are You Speaking To Your Child Today?

‘Awọn ọmọ wọnyi ko wulo’ – Yoruba Language

‘These children are useless’ – English Language

‘Ọmọ yii jẹ apọju.’ – Yoruba Language

‘This child is too dull‘- English Language

‘These children are making my life miserable’.

‘I feel like my life is frozen in time and I have accomplished nothing since I became a mother’. 

Have you ever heard words like this spoken by a parent or caregiver to a child? Perhaps you are that parent or may have heard stories about mothers who speak harsh, negative and unkind words to their children.

I have heard such words being spewed out of the lips of a parent to their child on several occasions. I even met a mother once, who categorically stated to me that not “all children will make it in life”. That statement was in reference to her friend’s son who was having serious academic challenges and had been sent out of several high schools in the country. Her words left me thinking and wondering if a child’s academic performance was all that was required for a child to make it in life.

The Words Our Children Hear Daily Leaves An Imprint in Their Tender Hearts

Do you know that words are powerful? Whether they are spoken, written or even imagined. There is something about speaking out your words. I personally believe that something happens in the unseen realm when positive or negative words are uttered. Joyce Meyer puts it this way – Our words carry weight in the spiritual realm.

I am sure that you can also remember certain words you read from a book, or words that someone spoke to you that greatly encouraged you and have helped to shape you into the person that you are today.

The bible tells us this,

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruits thereof’ Proverbs 18:21 KJV

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Proverbs 18:21 NLT

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.
Proverbs 18:21 MSG

“What goes into a mind, comes out in a life” – Sam Adeyemi

The question now is this – What words are your speaking to your child?

The job of parenting can be hard and overwhelming at times. Children will many times try your patience to its limits, but you can choose to become more intentional or careless with the words you speak in your parenting journey. Your words are seeds that will grow to either shape or break the next generation growing right inside your home. Careless words spoken will bear bad fruit just the way good fruit springs forth when we speak God’s word over our children. You can choose your words.

The words of a parent can heal or wound their child. Their words can encourage or discourage, empower or disempower, build or break their child. You can either choose to speak life (God’s truth and word) over your child or keep agreeing with the devil when you speak evil and negative words over them.

Are your words killing or giving your child life?

Are you slowly killing your child’s dreams, hopes, self-esteem and future with your words?

Or will you rather speak light, life, faith, courage, determination and possibilities into your child’s life today?

The words you speak as parents to your child today will eventually play out in his/her life tomorrow. Choose your words wisely and intentionally. Resist the urge to pour out words carelessly in moments of stress and anger. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you guard your lips and words at all times. And if you have faltered in anyway with your words over your child, today is a new day and opportunity to start afresh.

Tell yourself this – I will speak only life and God’s truth over my children. I will encourage, support, inspire, motivate, challenge and propel them forward with my words henceforth. So help me God!

You may want to read this also:

Guarding Your Words: The Power of the Tongue from James 3:1-12