Think about the words we’re using at home. With our whānau. With our tamariki mokopuna.
He mana tō te kupu. Words have power, so we need to use them wisely. With everything going on in Aotearoa and the world, we’ve talked a lot about having our say, standing in our truth, speaking with power. To #ProtectOurWhakapapa we need to influence the direction of our future, and so we need to have our say. We also need to think about the words we’re using at home. With our whānau. With our tamariki mokopuna. Your voice is the one that they will use as a model. It’s what they’ll carry forward into their own families. That voice can be kind and loving, or it can be critical and harmful. And your voice builds the messages they will reinforce in their own minds for the rest of their lives. Those messages can be of our worth and value, or they can be the most damaging - the ones that tell us we’re not worthy. That we don’t deserve love. Make sure the words you use in your home are doing no harm. Make sure they are loving, empowering, and leaving no doubt that our tamariki mokopuna are our tino taonga.