Tip #3 Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Parenting Tip: Say nothing negative for 24 hours

A few years ago I had a student who would walk into class and immediately say something negative to me either about someone else, about class, or anything. I asked her if she talked this way only in my class or her other classes also. Before she could answer both her friends sitting to her right and left responded in the affirmative. She was taken aback. “No I don’t.” They insisted that she did. She asked me if I seriously thought she was too negative. I said definitely. Honestly, it was incredibly wearing.

The next time she came to class she promised me she was going to turn over a new leaf. “Mr. Conover, I promise not to say another negative thing for the rest of the year.” There were still three months of school left. Considering her track record, this seemed like an impossibility. We struck a wager. If she could do it, I would buy her an expensive coffee of her choice, and if she failed, I got the coffee. Amazingly, she did it. This was no small accomplishment. It completely changed the classroom environment and I was able to enjoy that class again. The benefits of eliminating negative talk are dramatic and well worth it. Try for 24 hours and then maybe a week and then maybe three months. You and your family will notice the difference right away.

Apologetics (a defense of the Biblical worldview)

Child: “How do we know the Bible is true?”

Parent: “One of the ways is the history recorded in the Bible has been confirmed by hundreds of archaeological discoveries. One example is the tunnel built by Hezekiah described in 2 Chronicles 32:2-4 and discovered in 1838 thirty feet under ground.”

God bless you!
Kevin Conover

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