Thoughts on parenthood...being a mother.

So, I am teaching Young Women's tomorrow...which I haven't even finish preparing my lesson. Yikes..But I wanted to share a few thoughts that stood out to me. My lesson is titled: How do the roles of men and women complement each other in marriage. I am definitely learning some new things even thought I thought this lesson was very basic..and of course the thoughts on motherhood stood out to me and I wanted to share just a few.

The proclamation teaches that “mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” Nurturing refers to parenting behaviors such as warmth, support, bonding, attachment, recognizing each child’s unique abilities, and attending to children’s needs. Nurturing in and of itself is more important in the development of a child than is any particular method or technique of child rearing. It hardly needs saying that nurturing is best carried out in a stable, safe, family context.

Taking care of small, dependent, and demanding children is never ending and often nerve-racking. Mothers must not fall into the trap of believing that “quality” time can replace “quantity” time. Quality is a direct function of quantity—and mothers, to nurture their children properly, must provide both. To do so requires constant vigilance and a constant juggling of competing demands. It is hard work, no doubt about it. --M Russell Ballard, The Sacred Responsibility of Parenthood.

There is no higher calling or opportunity than to be a husband or wife, a father or mother. There is also no greater challenge. Mortals are by their nature imperfect, and family life is a laboratory for trial and error. The unique contributions that men and women bring to a marriage are enhanced when spouses serve each other and work to create unity. –Mark T. Hales

I have discuss with my mom lately that how we both feel like young mothers today have such pressure put upon them to focus on things that might steer us away from what we should be focusing on. The world is telling us that we need to be more fit, skinny, and trendy..we need to be more crafty and creative...we need our house to look like it belongs in a magazine...we need stay up on the latest and greatest in the celebrity world..and so on. When really as mothers, like they say, "are primarily responsibility is to nurture our children." To raise a family in righteousness and love. Again like my mom said..it was just fine for her as a young mother to wear a baggie shirt with a puffy paint design on it and have the words to "love at home" stenciled around the walls of her home... haha! ok so the style has changed a bit but my point is the focus of where our hearts and life should be should not change.

The cover of the Time magazine shocked me a bit. Titled "The Childfree life...when having it all means not having children."

I hope this was just another cover to shock people and have controversy. I didn't get to read the whole article but some of the things said were sad. I know this is how some people really do think but I sure hope this is not what the world is becoming. Its completely opposite of our Heavenly Father's plan for us here...Satan sure knows how to make people blind.

I am not saying everyone should go have children right now. There is a right time and place. Family planning is very personal and no one needs to feel rushed into having children. And I know there are plenty out there that are unable to as well...which is another topic and thought. But I think it crosses the line to say "I never want to have children..I just want to play and have fun the rest of my life". That's just my personal opinion. Especially now having one of my own I can't imagine life without children. Yes they are hard, but most parents would not change it for anything, including me.

Well...as you can see not a whole lot is going on right now, so for now I write down my thoughts on here...and you can see that my life involves around my child! :)

Proud mother moments that I don't want to forget to write down right now. I was trying to teach him "more" in sign language and he thought I was just clapping..but he caught on but basically does it for everything. Anytime he needs help or wants something. It's cute but still hard to know what he wants. Also I taught him how to say "please"..he says "peas" but I think its the cutest thing. He claps his hands and just says peas anytime he wants something know...how can you not give it to him?? ha