Words Like Honey: How to Avoid Unintentional Harm, Model Kindness, and Nurture Your Child’s Faith Through What You Say

Discover how to avoid harmful words and replace them with words that nurture

- Grow your child’s sense of self, bolster their budding faith, and nurture your relationship with them
- Learn how to break generational cycles of unintentional hurt
- From a mother of nine and a regular contributor for Wild + Free and 1000 Hours Outside


Our words have an impact on our children, yet how often do we slow down long enough to really think about what that impact might be? Many common phrases we utter as parents have a negative effect on our kids, unintentionally causing anxiety, stress, self-consciousness, or depression. Some of them even become a barrier to our child’s faith and their trust in Christ.

In Words Like Honey, sought-after speaker, writer, and mother of nine Amy Hughes explores specific words and phrases we commonly use when talking to our kids and considers the negative impact they may have. Things like
- ＂Hurry up＂
- ＂Calm down＂
- ＂Don’t be sad＂
- ＂You should be ashamed of yourself＂
- ＂God doesn’t give you more than you can handle＂
- ＂You just need more faith＂
- and more

Then she offers alternative words and phrases, giving us the practical help we need to choose better language in the moment that will build up our children’s confidence, faith, and sense of worth in the long run. With support from Scripture, stories, and studies throughout, this book offers compassion and encouragement for all of us who want to parent with more intention.

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＂If words shape the world, then Words Like Honey is the blueprint for building something beautiful.＂--Ginny Yurich, CEO and founder of 1000 Hours Outside

＂This book is a hopeful waymaker for parents who long to break generational patterns, delight in their children, and nurture a kind and compassionate home.＂--Ainsley Arment, author of The Call of the Wild + Free

Amy Hughes is a mother of nine, a writer, a speaker, and a parenting coach living on the central coast of California. A featured writer for Wild + Free, Amy is a sought-after keynote and conference speaker and has been published in Scary Mommy, (in)Courage, Simplify Magazine, The Fallow House, The Natural Family, Rhythm of the Home, Christian Unschooling, and more. She reads too many books and drinks too much coffee, plus she thinks she’s incredibly funny. She lives in Paso Robles, California.