Can I Make a Suggestion?

Conversationsbeginning
Instead of giving a tip, I would shared a tip I needed! It came from one of my readers: Sue H. Last week, Sue shared this tip on my post “The Letting Go”:
“I have a 23 and 21 year old. I say the phrase, “That is just a suggestion,” a lot when giving my “kids” advice. It is so hard for me to sit there and watch them make their decisions sometimes, but I know I am not trusting God with them if I am constantly hovering.”
Like Sue, I have kids who are no longer kids. Zach will be 23 in just a few days and Mariah will be 20 in August. The time has definitely come for me to share suggestions too!
But I don’t think this is just for those of us with adult children. I can utilize this wisdom with my daughter still at home.

Sometimes, our choice of words can make all the difference. The difference between a conversation beginning or ending.

“Can I share with you how I see it?”
“Do you have a minute to talk?”
“When you have a minute, could you…”
When I choose words that show my child I respect him or her, not in the aspect of authority, but because they are a living, breathing creation of God, walls come down and windows of conversation can open up.
What “line” can you change today, to demonstrate to your child you respect her as one of God’s own?

Lynn

4 Comments

  1. nancys1128 says:

    I actually need to keep my mouth closed more. I have bad habit of interrupting, which is just as disrespectful as not choosing words carefully.

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      So true, Nancy! My daughter pointed that out to me at lunch today 🙂

  2. Thanks so much for this approach! I love “Can I share with you how I see it?” I think tihis will definitely help in relating to not just my college daughter, but my middle schooler, as well! God bless!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      It’s going to help me too, Debbie!

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