The Power of Words
What we say has the power to build someone else up or squash
them down. As a teacher I have always thought, what is the one thing that I say
that a student might remember for the rest of their lives? Or I have taken it personally and thought,
what am I doing wrong that is creating poor behaviour in my students? Maybe it
is naïve to think my words will last that long, but if they do I want the words
they replay in their minds to be affirmative, positive and empowering. Sadly, I know personally it is way easier to
repeat the unkind, unsupportive or mean things someone has said to me when I
was a child then recall the nice words.
Adults and children alike make mistakes. Admitting to our
errors or having someone point them out is part of life. However, if we are always reminded or
criticized for our mistakes and rarely get praise for what we do well or have
been successful at, it can eat away at our self-confidence. Adults can get
overwhelmed with the pressures and demands of daily life which in turn tests
our patience and ability to stay calm when children make poor choices or behave
badly. Rather than calling out the situation, it is less anxiety creating to
redirect the child to make better decisions as well as celebrating their
strengths rather than pointing out their deficiencies. This may take longer for
the child to learn from their mistakes, but if the lesson is learned through
fear or criticism it is less powerful then if it is because they intrinsically
want to do the right thing or make the right choice.
Food for thought.
"Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of
some that don't mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a
lifetime." -Rachel Wolchin
"Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that
grows flowers, not thunder." -Rumi
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