Last week began a new chapter in the life of our family – one without the word Nothing. You know the Nothing that comes immediately after you’ve asked your children, “What’s going on up there?”
Has your family ever been plagued by one of those words or phrases that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up? Not a bad word by definition, but the simple repetition of this word has become such a part of your children’s vocabulary that you wonder if they are left with any imagination at all. And you just know the next time you hear that word the offending child will reap some serious consequences, but what might those consequences be?
Maybe Nothing isn’t your catch word, but maybe you’ve encountered one of his cousin phrases such as, I don’t know, I’m bored, I don’t like that, or Whatever!
How do you effectively eliminate these words from your family’s vocabulary? Is there a way to playfully encourage our children to choose their words more carefully?
It may help if we examine why these words have become so common in our households.
1. Lazy Brain – The word Nothing and the phrase I Don’t Know seem to occur more when my kids are feeling tired or lazy.
2. Defiance or Ignorance – At other times these words surface as a refusal or an inability to articulate the activity my children are involved in.
3. Fear of being found out – Sometimes the kids simply don’t want me to know what they are up to so they quickly respond to my inquiry with “Nothing!”
But maybe you are a bit like me, and you’d really like to curb the lazy talk and broaden your child’s horizons. Consider our family’s little experiment.
1. Set Fun Boundaries. Example: “We will no longer be using the word Nothing.”
2. Alternative Word Play.
Invariably the question arises, “What if I really am doing nothing?” or “What if I really am bored?” As parents we need to suggest our children Stop and Think. A simple rearrangement of words or taking a moment to consider what to say is a fun and creative way to broaden your family’s vocabulary. Looking for more words? Encourage your children to READ and Play fun games like SCRABBLE or TABOO.
3. Clarify Consequences
I am not suggesting punishment. This is meant to be a fun exercise. Still there must be consequences or this experiment will be short-lived. I suggest implementing a fine of 10 or 25 cents for each use of the word or phrase. The money can be added to a family jar for missions, vacation, etc. If you’d rather not impose a monetary fine you might choose to assign an extra chore like dishes that evening.
4. Recognize & Reward
Remember the idea is to help build and grow our children’s understanding of language and discourage them from having a lazy brain. When they come up with a stellar alternative for the word or phrase you have banned – CELEBRATE!
Consider making a chart or keep a family journal that keeps track of clever ways of responding to questions like “What are you doing?”
This new family activity has already resulted in a lot of laughs at our house. It’s even more fun for the kids if Mom and Dad are not immune. My kids relish catching me saying the illegal word!
I’d love to know if your family chooses to employ this little experiment. Feel free to share with me your catch phrase and results. Good Luck!
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