What Do Our Children Hear?

I told her I loved her and patted her back
Then said, “Run and play, mom’s got lunches to pack”
But she chattered away whilst I nodded and smiled
With my thoughts and attentions a hundred miles
From the blue-eyed pixie with sleepy-head hair
And her gaze fixed on me as she pulled up a chair……
While I said, ‘sweet-heart please put that away
Mommy’s in a hurry, she’s very busy today’….
…and sweet-heart sighed as she ran to play….
What do our children hear?

I looked at the report card with a thoughtful gaze
As I said, ‘how can we turn these ‘B’s in to ‘A’s?
And oh, I would snatch those words back if I could
Disappointedly he said, ‘the teacher said it’s real good’
And it didn’t really matter that I said ‘well done’
I saw what he heard as I looked at my son
And now I could think of fine words of praise
As I felt a rebuke in his sorrowful gaze
I thought, ‘son, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…’
What do our children hear?

They hear so much more than our words and our phrases
What they hear is reflected in their eyes and their faces
And what we really speak reflects in our walk
There’s so much to hear that requires no talk
God, grant me patience and God make me wise
Teach me how to see through a little child’s eyes
Teach me how to love in all they do
As You love me, let me love them too
So that in everything I say perhaps they’ll hear You…
What do our children hear?

All Rights Reserved
Janet Martin

Some thoughts I've been mulling over for the past week.....