Day 15: Parenting Wisdom from Proverbs

“Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” (Proverbs 13:3 NLT)

Just as a ship is steered by a very small rudder, our small tongues have great impact in our lives. With a single word, we can either build up or tear down. While I have always tried to be aware of my words, parenting has caused me to think even more about the words I use.

A memory of coming home with my arms full of grocery bags always comes to mind as I think of this. My arms were full as I entered the house, and I carefully set the bags down on the kitchen counters. As I was unloading the bags, my oldest came into the kitchen. With eager hands, he started unloading groceries along side of me. Somehow as he picked up the eggs in his earnest way, the egg carton slipped from his little hands and dropped to the floor.

Even though my back was to him, I heard the sound and the soft gasp slip from his lips. Without thinking, I reacted in a less than pleasant way.

The moment the words flew out of my mouth, I wished for them back. With his big brown eyes looking up at me, he quietly said, “It really was an accident mom. You say we all make mistakes.”

Instantly, I covered him with a hug and apologized for my quick reaction. We moved on our with our day, but that moment has been forever marked in my memory.

Our words have great power and we can use them for so much good within the walls of our home. May we be women who use our words for good and building one another up. 

​-Keri