We don't say...

Do you ever remember, as a child, your mother telling you it was rude to say certain things. Maybe, as in my case, you had just ask your aunt why she always borrowed your mom's clothes and never returned them? And perhaps, you had added that your mom was pretty hot about it. I remember the feeling of trying to find the path of politeness in this great big world and I am trying to keep that in mind as I guide my children. Politeness can be overwhelming. Let's say that you want to wear jewelry and your parents tell you that God made you beautiful just as you are. In fact, jewelry is "ugly". Then it would be natural to see someone wearing a ring and to comment on how "ugly" rings are. Well, in the past month, there seems to have been so many times when we are telling Abbey that we do not say such-and-such. This came home to me the other day when yet again we were telling her what not to say and she began to review. "And we don't say their teeth are green, momma? And we don't ask how they hurt their leg? (Said leg was missing!) And we don't tell the Pastor that we would rather go to Chili's? And we don't tell them that we would like some toys? Momma, what do we say?" Being the supremely intelligent parents that we are, we gave her pointers on how to talk about the weather. Because, after all, we want her to seem like a ordinary five year-old.