Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones...

...But Words Will Never Hurt Me.

I remember at a very young age, complaining to my mom that the kids in the neighborhood were making fun of me. My very first memory of getting my feelings hurt from being called names came before I had even turned 4. I cried to my mom, "They called me Jennifer Jones with Mickey Mouse Bones." I sobbed.

My mom laughed. After all I was her first child and while she tried to console me, it was obviously funny to her. She told me to go back out there and say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That's exactly what I did and I meant it! I've believed it since. Words are just words, right?

Well. I'm not so sure anymore.

Words are very powerful for both good and evil. For example, when I get a call from the principal that my son says rude things to authority figures, that's a problem!

So far the only solution I could come up with is to have him do what I had to do in Jr. High. Write 100 sentences. "I will speak respectfully, especially to adults" (Only I wrote 1000 sentences--I will not throw things on the school bus. I'm sure it wasn't really my fault, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time--I digress.)

How important are words? The only thing I can come up with is, if someone hurts you with them, shake it off--just words. If your child, on the other hand becomes a delinquent because he started out as a disrespectful punk and never grew out of it--Pray, I guess.

I got this advice from a friend and I've tried it too. We are going to play some games at home where we say things in certain ways and see if it always has the same meaning. He likes this already, especially when he gets to practice saying, I love you, sarcastically.

Maybe instead of writing sentences I should have him record his voice in a variety of pleasant tones. Hmm? If I'm looking for torture that would do it for sure.