The language we use matters. Hyperboles and exaggerations can be tempting to use to make a point. Or if you're French... oh yes! Some of us have a sweet spot for drama.

But our kids have yet to adjust their rhetorical tools. They tend to take things literally even when we, adults, think that it's obviously just a figure of speech.

If I say to my wife, "The tax level this year is KILLING US!" in front of my young daughter, she won't know that I don't mean that. Whether she says something or not, it might cause her stress.

If I tell my son to be careful because something, say crossing the street, is "SUPER DANGEROUS," I might drive my point home efficiently on the spot.

But the power of superlatives diminishes over time when we use them lightly or too often. Plus, it creates ambiguity between every danger (if everything is SUPER dangerous, then nothing is).

Exaggeration is the enemy of clarity. It distorts reality and make the situation at hand fuzzy. Using exaggerations overemphasizes the emotional, but the price we pay is rationality.

While it's sometimes necessary, especially with youths, to underscore our points with emotions, our primary goal should always be clear communication.

But if you dramatize and catch yourself doing it, rebalance the perspective by redescribing the facts. Explain why you are upset about the taxes this year. Tell your daughter why she should follow the speed regulations when she borrows your car.

Be mindful of the second-order effects of using exaggerations.