Hands up if you’ve used one of these words or phrases in the last week:
• Bedroom
• Gossip
• Negotiate
• Worthless
• Undress
• Fashionable
• Amazement
• Excitement
• Method in the madness
• One fell swoop
• Seen better days
• The world’s my oyster
• Foregone conclusion
• Eaten out of house and home
Did you know that they were all invented by Shakespeare?
Apparently, there are over 1,700 words and phrases he invented that we still commonly use.
And considering the average English speaker only uses around 5,000 words in every day speech, that means he’s responsible for an awful lot of them.
This is kind of like what happens to our children too.
They pick up on the ideas, fears and anxieties of others and make them their own.
Especially when those ideas, fears, and anxieties come from someone in authority, like a parent or teacher.
And they never question where these thoughts came from.
You can never completely protect your kids from getting screwed up by inheriting fears and anxieties.
(Even my kids are not immune, and I’ve spent years dealing with this stuff.)
But you can get them help when they need it.
And you can set them a good example by dealing with your own issues too.
If you need help either way, get in touch.
Heidi Woodgate