Sticks and stones

"I can't get to sleep at night, every time I try and fall asleep, I lay in bed thinking about what my parents said to me." R.N.

This quote is from a teenager I have been meeting with. He shared that each time he tries to fall asleep the same words are spoken over and over to him. The words he hears is "your a worthless bas... and you will never amount to anything. What a horrible thing to have to think about each night and each morning as you wake up.


I know that he is not alone. Many of our children would love to hear encouragement from those closest to them instead of constant harassment and abuse. The words parents say are very powerful and stick with them a long time.


A video was recently posted on you tube by a young lady who expresses the way she feels without saying anything out loud. She communicates through the written word  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37_ncv79fLA  She refers to what is happening in her school, but it could just as easily be transferred into what teens deal with in their home life.


I believe the greatest thing we can ever say to our teens is "I love you", then we need to follow that up with our actions!