Practical suggestions to reverse the trend of an overly corrective relationship:

1. If they have stopped listening to you, quit preaching.
2. Stop moralizing about listening: “you should be listening to me!” Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to do his
3. Stay up nights if you have to, thinking of ways to say what is so commendable in them.
4. Keep up a steady, tender flow of words and gestures that confirm and commend them.
5. We don’t affirm any particular quality we don’t personally embrace and exemplify in some appreciable measures. If we try to commend punctuality while always running late ourselves, our hypocritical compliments become off-putting.
6. Love the unchanged person as is. Be a blessing to that person before he listens to you.

To purchase Sam Crabtree’s book Practicing Affirmation go here.