We often dismiss what kids hear and comprehend when they are extremely young. We think don’t understand what is being told around them, that they don’t even listen, or that they won’t even remember anything by the end of the day. But sooner or later we all come to learn just how much children actually intercept and just how everything they hear from a young age has an effect on their adult life.

Think back at your memories from elementary school, for example. We all have some really good memories from that age, but also some memories we wish we’d forget. Whether we want them or not, those memories shape us. So as adults, we have to be mindful of that whenever there are kids nearby. Otherwise, you should be prepared for the impact your words may have on them for the rest of their lives.

When the son in the story below was 10 years old, he overheard a conversation between his parent that he was never meant to hear.