I’m heading back to the UK tomorrow after one month in Malaysia. I’m definitely going to miss family, food, and the good weather here.
Another thing I’ll miss is seeing my 4-year-old nephew’s growth in vocabulary and conversational reasoning. He’s picked up idioms from all of us and it’s hard to keep a straight face when he now uses them in conversation.
I also love seeing how gentle, clear correction makes a huge difference in how fast he’s learning. My sister (who is a teacher) and her husband, quietly and consistently guide him on the how, what, when, and why of each new phrase. My nephew is extremely receptive to this feedback because it’s a habit that is reinforced daily.
It made me think about how we can provide gentle, clear correction to others—perhaps at work or at home—as well as being open to learning from similarly thoughtful feedback ourselves.