May 4, 2009 4:47 PM
When speaking to children, be gentle
On the other side of laughing at The Mom Song, a wise word for mommies -
It's not so much what you say
As the manner in which you say it;
It's not so much the language you use
As the tone in which you convey it."Come here!" I sharply said,
And the child cowered and wept.
"Come here," I said - He looked and smiled
And straight to my lap he crept.Words may be mild and fair
And the tone may pierce like a dart;
Words may be soft as the summer air
But the tone may break my heart.For words come from the mind
Grow by study and art -
But tone leaps from the inner self
Revealing the state of the heart.
Whether you know it or not,
Whether you mean or care,
Gentleness, kindness, love, and hate,
Envy, anger, are there.
Then, would you quarrels avoid
And peace and love rejoice?
Keep anger not only out of your words -
Keep it out of your voice.~Author Unknown
Posted in Mothering | Permalink
Comments
Thanks, Barbara. I needed this reminder today.
Posted by: AZtwinmommy | May 4, 2009 6:21 PM
perfect! It is incredible that we hear/read things just when we need to hear or see them. I have been struggling lately with my stress level and how that has come across to my 5 year old. He has ADHD and is a bit oppositional and hard to live with at times. He challenges my sanity on a daily basis and I constantly need to remind myself to speak gently to him when what I really want to do is scream! I love him dearly and will print this as a reminder to me!
Posted by: Susan | May 4, 2009 8:40 PM
