Some time ago, a six-year-old under my tutelage stated blatantly that he hated Jumia and its services. Seated where I was, I was taken aback ’cause I felt hate was a strong word for a little kid. Seeking to know why he hated Jumia, I discovered that he only repeated verbatim the same words his Dad had used while trying to convey the displeasure he suffered from the shopping app.
Very recently, Preston Perry shared that his daughter, Eden had used the word ‘badass’ while trying to celebrate her sister’s athletic prowess. He was shocked to find out the new vocabulary had been picked from her school.
The above instances bring to bear that our choice of words whenever we’re around kids must be checked. We often hear of kids whose vocabulary is characterized by insulting and swear words or usage of words bigger than them. But have you ever stopped to wonder where the words were picked up from?
Sometimes it’s not impossible to discover that these kids don’t even know the meaning of the words used.
What to do?
- Cautiously inquire of them if they knew the meaning of the word and correct them lovingly.
- Explain to them that words have power and must be used carefully.
Making changes in your communication is not always easy but it is worth the try.
The crux of the post is to encourage everyone to be careful in the choice of words whenever they find themselves around kids.
Remember that “Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression.”
No comment yet, add your voice below!