“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” –Psalm 19:14 (NKJV)
Have you ever heard very young children use ugly words while playing or talking to others? I have, and it is not pretty. Where did they get such a vocabulary? In all likelihood, they picked it up from family at home or classmates at school. There was a time when we did not hear so much of such talk. Now, it seems that even news on TV often contains much bad language. The Bible tells us not to use the Lord’s name in vain, yet many people do just that! At times, it seems, that there is nothing sacred any more! Why is this the case?
God’s preferences do not change. It seems that people who use foul language often let it overflow into their thoughts and come flying out of the mouth. This is not pleasing to God! We need to control our tongue and use acceptable language, especially in front of children.
There is a song that I used to sing to my children. It has several verses. One of the verses says: “Be careful little mouth what you say, Be careful little mouth what you say. There’s a Father up above, looking down on you with love, so be careful little mouth what you say.” It has other verses about being careful what we hear and see. Additional verses say be careful little hands what you do, and be careful little feet where you go. It is easy to make up tunes to go with the words. We are trying to get the ideas across and whatever tune we come up with will work. This song helps children be aware that they are in control of their actions and words.
It is also good to use questions when talking to children. Telling is not teaching. When we tell a child something, as my mom used to say, “It goes in one ear and out the other!” However, when we ask questions, it requires a child to think in order to come up with an answer. What are some questions we can ask children? One question might be, “How would you feel if someone said that about you?” Another question might be, “Can you think of a nicer way to say what you are trying to say?” Another might be, “Do you enjoy having people talk to you the way you are talking to others?
Singing as we work is another way to help children with words. To this day, I can remember my dad singing in the fields such songs as, “You Can’t Do Wrong and Get By” and “Farther Along”. He sang many other songs that have stuck with me as well.
We should never underestimate the power of the words our children hear us say. As we work around them, we can sing good songs with acceptable meaning to God. Also, we can eliminate those ugly words parents are often tempted to use!