In With All Their Heart, Christine Yount Jones says a child’s speech is the barometer of his or her heart. She offers these guidelines for inspiring pure hearts that result in pure speech:

• Encourage children to be an example for others in how they speak. (See 1 Timothy 4:12.)
• Encourage children to understand that their speech is a large part of their testimony for Christ. (See Titus 2:7-8.)
• Encourage children to speak words that help others. (See Ephesians 4:29.)
• If your children use words carelessly, encourage them to say less instead of more. (See Proverbs 10:19-20.)