Shut Your Mouth!
“What should not be heard by little ears should not be said by big mouths.”
WOW! Ouch! How many times do we parents say things to, or in front of our children that they have no business hearing? When we stop to think about it, what benefit can a child receive by discussing the family finances, or arguing with our husbands in front of them? Nothing! Zip! Nada! Zilch! The only things they’ll receive (other than a possible headache!) is nervousness, worry, and possibly bitterness.
So many times (I’ve seen it) mothers “forget” how old their children are. By this I mean that mothers are, generally speaking, with their children more than the fathers are. Sometimes they (children) are our only companionship during a day. So what do we do? We tend to talk to and treat them as adults, to a point!
Our children should not hear us saying negative things about our leaders (barring wrong-doing). They should certainly never hear us criticizing the pastor or another Christian. What is the best way to prevent them from hearing us? Talk more quietly? Shut the door? Whisper? NO! The best way is to just shut our big yappers!
Let’s decide that we will close our mouths when we feel the urge to argue, complain, criticize, or be negative. We must also decide to open them when God gives us the opportunity to teach our children biblical principles, and to let them know how much we love them, which He does constantly. We only have to watch for them, and obey when He prods!
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