The old idiom “out of the mouths of babes”, is so very true.

Children often cause amusement during a session when they communicate exactly what they are thinking without realising how it may impact on the person they are addressing.

We have all found ourselves in that awkward situation, either as the parent trying to manage the child, or, looking back now, as the child who in those developing years may have said similar unfiltered and unflattering comments to an adult.

There was one gold moment recently, that I would like to share with you, where I was on the receiving end of one of those honest comments that left me amused and the child’s mother horrified.

Miss Four stated “you have a big bottom”.  After agreeing with Miss Four, that yes, I do in fact have a big bottom (note to self, must go to the gym more), I found myself analysing the sentence structure and thought, “Well at least Miss Four had used the correct tense remembering to use ‘have’ and not ‘has’ in the sentence.”

Thankfully, my many years of training and experience as a speech pathologist have prepared me to sidestep and/or deflect such innocent comments. Also being a member of a large extended family allows me to accept that the child is just being honest.

As I continue to grow as a speech pathologist, I really do find it easier to process these honest comments and to find the positives.

In these situations it is how we respond that will help ease the awkwardness for the parent involved and allow us to feel amusement, because really, at the end of the day, the child is communicating with us. While it is not the most flattering or sensitive comment, we must remember, the child has clearly expressed a message verbally.

To me, that is a win. 🙂

CB