I’m glad you’re joining us, as we continue to have conversations from Dr. Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell’s book, The 5 Love Languages of Children. Words of affirmation have a powerful impact on children not only at the time they are said, but later, too. Has something someone said to you as a child stayed with you even today? I heard often as a child when trying something new, “sure you can do it” and even to this day, those words are part of my internal dialogue when weighing doing something for the first time. These authors perfectly articulate “their words” in telling readers why words are so important when talking to children. Here is what Dr. Chapman and Ross Campbell say about words used with children, “In communicating love, words are powerful. Words of affection and endearment, words of praise and encouragement, words that give positive guidance all say, “I care about you.” Such words are like a gentle, warm rain falling on the soul; they nurture the child’s inner sense of worth and security. Even though such words are quickly said, they are not forgotten. A child reaps the benefits of affirming words for a lifetime. Conversely, cutting words, spoken our short-lived frustration, can hurt a child’s self-esteem, and cast doubts about his abilities. Children think we deeply believe what we say."
