Have you ever called your son or daughter a bad girl or a bad boy?  Maybe you were called a bad girl or a bad boy when you were little.

Children aren’t bad, so no, you shouldn’t call your children bad girl or bad boy. They are good. Children originate from the heart of Father God in Heaven.  He does not create bad people.  He created all people, you and me and your children in His image.  Genesis 1:27

You are a partaker (sharer) of the divine (Godlike) nature.  II Peter 1:4  You share God’s nature just as your children share your nature.  I’m sure you’ve said, “He looks just like his daddy.”  Father God’s DNA runs through you. 

God is a good God. Psalm 100:5 He is not bad.  Therefore, He doesn’t create bad children.  It is in the heart of your children to do good because they are good.

Children aren’t bad but they can make bad choices. It only takes a matter of time in our fallen world to pick up on selfishness and ego and all the rest.  As they live and grow up in our society, the culture, media, video games, magazines, social media, and peers have an influence. 

As parents, it is our responsibility to guide them in what is right, true, pure, and lovely.  They don’t know unless you guide them.  It is our responsibility to correct the wrong action, the wrong choice made like telling a lie, deliberate disobedience, disrespecting siblings or us, bad attitudes. 

We help them learn that the choice they made was not a good choice.  There are consequences or discipline for the wrong choice.  We do it with a heart of love to help our children make the right, better choice next time.  We call them up to a better way to behave, to respond, and to live.  We shepherd or groom our children in how think right, speak right, and to respond right.

Here’s what you can say instead.

“You are a good girl.  I love you.  Even more importantly, God loves you.  However, hitting your brother is not a good choice.  Hitting your brother is dishonor. 

There are consequences to each decision we make.  I need to discipline you because that is the consequence for dishonoring your brother.

I want to help you to make the right choice next time.  I want you to grow up to have the most joy and fun and favor.  To do that I need to obey God and help you to learn to make right choices.  God requires that I discipline you.”

So Mama, what words are you taking out of your vocabulary?  Bad boy, bad girl. 

Speak to WHO your child is.  Speak life, Mama. Speak Father God’s truth about who He created them to be.  Let His Words be their identity.