Once there was a mother walking with her little girl. They were talking about growing up. The little girl looked at her mom, and said, "when I grow up, I want to be just like you." These may be scary words for us, but the reality is that our little boys and girls will someday grow up and be very much like us in many ways. What legacy do we really want to leave for our children?
Starting with the very basics, do we show our children, daily, that we love them? Is that love shown to them in a way that they can understand? In The five Love Languages of Children, Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, M.D. define for us the five languages of love. They teach us how to discover the primary love language of each of our children. For us moms with more than one child, guess what? You've got it; they may be completely different from one another. For example, one child may like it when you praise them, cheer for them at a game, or writing them an encouraging note. The authors call this "words of affirmation."Alternatively, another may respond predominantly to seeing that you love them by doing things for them, like making their breakfast or folding their clothes a certain way. This book is a wonderful addition to the family library and extremely insightful in raising healthy children. See www.MoodyPublishers.com for further information on this book, or others by these authors.
Do we live our life in the Truth of God on a daily basis, before them? Do we exercise with them, and demonstrate healthy nutritional choices? Do we play games with them or have a "family movie night?" Do we show them by our actions that they are very important to us as moms? Do we set reasonable boundaries for them? Do we teach them life skills such as cooking, money management, laundry, and childrearing?
Moms, I can assure you that the world around our children will TELL them how much they care for them, virtually everywhere. I can assure you that it is purely for selfish reasons. We have been given the opportunity to SHOW our children that we love them. This is a huge calling that we must rise to the occasion for, if you will. Proverbs 22:6 tells us, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Only through God' s love and forgiveness for us, are we able to love our children, and others. For further reading, try Deuteronomy chapter 6.
Have a great day,
Mom @ Work
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3 comments:
Good evening, Mom. So many of us as Moms get so busy we forget how much we influence our children. Thanks for the reminder!
What made you decide to be a stay at home Mom when you could be making good money working in your field?
You mentioned the "Five languages of Love" book. What other books that you have read lately had an impact on you?
MountainGrandma
After becoming a mom, I always wanted to stay at home full time. Not until I had our third child was I able to do that. I cherish my experiences both as a working mom, and a stay at home mom. Tony Dungy's book, Quiet Strength, is a good read on work and family.
Some helpful tips to share for Superbowl weekend:
Instead of cooking wings, which are difficult to handle, try using chicken tenders. They are usually lower calorie and the entire tender can be coated with Buffalo or other sauce and eaten.
Instead of large hoagie buns, use smaller buns since most folks "graze" during the entire game. Most people will munch on vegetable sticks just as happily as gorging on heavy snacks also.
A special recipe for Superbowl:
Carrot Cake
2 tsp gd cinnamon
1/4 tsp gd nutmeg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Sift together
Cream:
1 1/2 cups oil (I use Canola)
2 cups sugar
Add 4 eggs one at a time
2 1/2 - 3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts toasted
Blend all ingrediants together
Grease 3 9" pans and flour
Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 - 35 min
Icing:
1/4 lb butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
1 - 8 oz cream cheese
This is an excellant and easy recipe and a little more "healthy" for Superbowl eaters!
Happy in Montana
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