One thing that just about anyone can agree with is how certain things from childhood will just stick.
It can be simply a memory of how your pet would comfort you on bad nights, or how comforting your plushie was in your arms as you fell asleep.
These memories seem to be a fundamental part of how we remember our childhood.
More importantly, many would find that it is words that stick the easiest and longest.
A hurtful phrase, or note of encouragement – nearly all of us can remember something that was said by someone, either a stranger or a person close to us, that has stuck with us ever since.
It is incredibly important to understand just how big an impact words can have, especially in our childhood.
As a result, many parents consider teaching their children the importance of watching what they say to be of utmost importance.
After all, this is something that ought to be taught from young, especially when a child’s peers often tend to be the ones that say the most spiteful things.
At the same time, it is also encouragement and praise from one’s peers that tends to be the most effective.
Because of this, impressing upon your children how powerful their words can be is extremely important, as they also need to understand just what kind of impact they are leaving behind on the people around them.
Truly, no matter what age you learn this lesson, it is still something that will carry us well into our adulthood.
It is no wonder then that this mother, Amy Beth Gardner, decided to take an extra step further in making sure the lesson settled in good and deep into her daughter’s memory.
A mother of two adopted girls, Gardner and her husband had just finished preparations for their eldest daughter, Breonna.
They had gotten the 11-year-old new uniforms, decorated her locker, and even surprised the girl with a new backpack, all in anticipation of Breonna’s first day of middle school.
Now entering into an age group where peer pressure and bullying really kicks in, Gardner knew there was still one last thing she had to do.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, she shares the story of how she gave her daughter a tube of toothpaste and a plate.
She then told the girl to squeeze out the contents of the tube onto the plate, the best she could. This, obviously, was easy.
Then came the hard part – putting the toothpaste back into the tube.
Obviously, this was an impossible task to accomplish without spending an absurd amount of time and effort, or cutting open the tube itself.
Gardner presented this as a tangible metaphor for her daughter – it is easy to unleash hurtful words at people around you, but it is harder to try repairing the damage you have done.
We applaud this mother for her creative efforts in imparting an important lesson her daughter will forever remember, and hope to see others doing the same!
