There are a lot of things you can do to prepare your child for the first day of school. Of course there’s the back to school clothes, the supplies, and packing a healthy lunch, but when it comes to interacting with other kids, we have to make sure they’re kind and respectful. While the bulk of the educating comes from the teachers, there are definitely some lessons parents can impart on their little ones, especially regarding bullying.
Amy Gardner knew that she had a lot on her plate and lot to do when it came to getting her daughter ready for the upcoming school year. They did the typical acts to prepare, like decorating her locker, and shopping for her uniform and supplies. But there was one other thing Amy did to get her young daughter ready for school, and it was a bit unconventional.
“But tonight just before bed, we did another pre-middle school task that is far more important than the others. I gave her a tube of toothpaste and asked her to squirt it out onto a plate.” Amy explained.
“When she finished, I calmly asked her to put all the toothpaste back in the tube. She began exclaiming things like "But I can't!" and "It won't be like it was before!"”.
Amy took the opportunity to teach her daughter a very important lesson.
“"You will remember this plate of toothpaste for the rest of your life. Your words have the power of life or death. As you go into middle school, you are about to see just how much weight your words carry. You are going to have the opportunity to use your words to hurt, demean, slander and wound others. You are also going to have the opportunity to use your words to heal, encourage, inspire and love others. You will occasionally make the wrong choice; I can think of three times this week I have used my own words carelessly and caused harm,” she said to her young daughter.
“Just like this toothpaste, once the words leave your mouth, you can't take them back. Use your words carefully, Breonna. When others are misusing their words, guard your words. Make the choice every morning that life-giving words will come out of your mouth.”
By explaining via the physical act of squirting all the toothpaste out of the tube, Amy was able to help her daughter understand just how much weight her words carry. She wouldn’t be able to take back the unkind and bullying words she may say, so Amy wanted her to know how important it is to think before she speaks. This is a value we so often preach, but it is very hard for us to practice. All of us know that middle school is where bullying can really get out of hand, which is exactly where Amy’s daughter was about to enter.
She left her young daughter with an important task: “Decide tonight that you are going to be a life-giver in middle school. Be known for your gentleness and compassion. Use your life to give life to a world that so desperately needs it. You will never, ever regret choosing kindness."
What do you think of Amy’s message?
