Yeah, Huh, and What

There are three words that have been made illegal in our house.

They are:

Yeah, Huh, and What

If you would like to see my skin quiver, ask one of my kids to answer me with one of these words.  When I was growing up, if I would have ever answered my parents like that, I was quickly corrected!  Nothing crazy, but it never slid by them. 

Now, as a mother, I understand why.  In my opinion, it is disrespectful for a child to answer an adult with words that would be used between friends...I am not their friend.  There is a respect that is gained with age, this is one of those respects.  Real words.  And I will demand these respects for myself and all other adults my kids come in contact with. 

The day that my son came home from school saying 'yeah' I hopped on him like white-on-rice.  I told him that I was his mommy.  I, and any adult he talks to, should NEVER hear that word.  Instead, he should say, 'yes'.  It is not that difficult.  I am not asking him to saying anything too crazy, just a real word. 

Huh = Excuse me
What = yes, excuse me, whatever is appropriate

These are those little skills that we can give our children that will help them become successful.  I want my kids to be suited with as many skills as I can give them so that they can be whatever they are called to be.  But my goodness, could you imagine if one of them answered 'yeah' or 'huh?' in a job interview?  Holy macaroni, it would bring them down three notches before they even GOT to their qualifications.  I would be horrified!

I know this seems silly but it is so important that we teach our kids to approach every situation with the utmost respect.  Respect does not just mean not yelling at someone, its in our word choices, our clothing choices, our body language, and beyond.  Teaching this starts now, when they are learning to speak.

So, if you ever hear my children say 'yeah', 'huh', or 'what', please don't let it slide!  You deserve better...and so do they!


Teaching Enthusiasm

I think most people, especially my husband, are generally shocked by the emphasis that I put on making sure incoming guests recieve an enthusiastic welcoming, birthday's always have balloons and signs, and general tone of voice in conversation. For some reason, these are things that I have always been very adamant about.

While I know my children will gain some of these qualities by my example, I also know the responsibility I have to teach them about enthusiasm. I am currently reading TLC's The Duggars 2nd book. In both of their books, they have had some incredible insights. One of my favorites was this one:  

"We teach them [our children] to overcome shyness by constantly reminding them of another foundation of our faith: Jesus' instruction to treat others the way you would want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). To us, it's not cute when our little ones turn away when someone speaks to them, or hide their faces in Mama's skirt, or stare back, wide-eyed and worldess; we believe that behavior is disrespectful of the other person. In contrast, eye contact shows repect; it tells the other person, You're important; You're special. 

Turning away means the child fails to acknowledge the other person, and it also nurtures in the child a self-centered focus, something we want each one to learn to overcome as he or she matures."

This exerpt explains my thoughts pefectly! It's about respect. It's about showing other people that they are worth your time and energy to put forth a little bit of effort on their behalf.

So, just know, that if you spend a birthday with us, you will probably have balloons, a sign, and cake. If you come to visit we will either be waiting in the airport, in the driveway, and possibly even holding signs. If you call, we will answer with "umph" so you know that we are excited to hear from you. And if you speak to us, we will be sure to look you in the eye and answer you. We want you to know that you are important to us and that we appreciate the relationship that we have.