It’s unavoidable; we overhear conversations everywhere we go. Whether we’re at the market, at work, or at church, people’s exchanges reach our ears. And while we shouldn’t crane our necks to snoop on the discussion at the next restaurant table, we simply can’t escape the chatter around us. Particularly with all the cell phones seemingly attached to the ears of the general public, we overhear more than we ever did.
But here’s a case when overheard conversations can be a good thing: At home, when Mom and Dad are intentionally speaking about values and principles they want their children to learn.
The minute we become parents, we also become teachers. Forever. Whether parents intend to or not, they are modeling behavior to kids who are watching. It could be a good or a bad example, a loving or unloving lesson, but they are constantly teaching something. And we know this, and try to set a good example in everything from manners to compassion to hard work to patience to obedience.