sharpening the uses of our tongues? Can we? May we? Might we?

There are many exercises that I use with the babies to make their tongues more able. As I feed them, I do little mouth games with my tongue... "make a fishface" or "twirl your tongue". I try to implore them not to use harsh tones of voice to one another without reason. etc. Some of them eat it up and play with words and talk and tongue stuff and some do not. How to talk about one another is something that is a soul issue.
When it is our responsibility to use our tongues to direct others and to speak to the public, it is a sacred place before God. The fear of God is very important in such a place. Pray before you talk to people. The image of Nehemiah and his heart prayer before the Lord, remains in my mind. Pray before the questions. Pray before the answers. Ask others to pray for the use of your tongue in the public eye.
Laugh with those who laugh about your talk and take criticism well. See how your children {those whose job it is to decipher what you say} are percieving your words. They are asking us what we are doing and why. We are correcting their misconceptions with gentleness and kindness. When we must hollar about things, let it be about the things that are of a sinful sort. The things that will take them to hell are the things that will make us crazy and they must feel the difference between the things that are important the things that are essential. This is impossible, apart from the grace of God and the empowerment of the Spirit. He is able to make all grace accessible to us in our labors which are above us! Let us trust Him to empower and guide us to use His grace to do just that. amen
James 3:5 

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

James 3:6  

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth thewhole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

James 3:8  

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

1 Peter 3:10  

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: