Are you missing your edit button? Showing our children to be positive in our words

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all

When I was growing up, this was our rule.  I’m sure it was many of yours, too.  If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

When people don’t do this, my husband calls this “missing their edit button.”

I worry about our children’s generation picking up on this, with the age of technology.  It makes it so much easier to say what you are feeling and I think that it is carrying over to ‘real life’ where people are speaking their minds (good or bad) more freely.

So- to these people that speak their minds freely, I want to remind you:

1- The people that you are ‘speaking your mind’ to are not you. Try to take your differences and just appreciate them.   Show your children that you don’t expect everyone to be like you. 

2- Remember the golden rule?  Do (or say) unto others what you would have done (or said) unto you?   Try this for a few days and see how much it changes the way that you feel.  Being negative makes you feel negative, as well.  So be positive!  Your children will see this and carry it on.  They will act how you act! 

3- Stop and think about what you are about to say.  Will it hurt feelings?  Cause anger?  Put a dent in your relationship?  What is the point of saying it?

For lent last year, I tried to give compliments to people (especially my husband and family) more often.   Try this.  Try being ‘nice’ more often.  Ask how other people are feeling, give them a compliment, have a servant’s heart and be joyful.  My good friend, Jeanie, prays for her child to have a servant’s heart every day. I think that is a wonderful prayer for our children.  Serve joyfully.

I challenge you to try this for one week and see how much better you feel and how much better your relationships are, as well.

Say something nice (out of your way) to someone every day (especially your spouse, children and good friends).

I heard once that for every ONE negative thing that you say to your children, you should say TEN positive things to replace it.  (I think I heard this on 19 kids & counting)

Lets try to remember what we were taught, shall we?  Lets teach our children and SHOW our children that saying what is on your mind is not always the way to go (at times, of course, but show them that you have ‘an edit button’, too.)