Righteous woman of the latter days have the potential to be a remarkable influence.
“Yesterday my husband called a little bit before lunchtime to check on how we were doing at home. The conversation was more brief than usual because he had a lunch appointment held at a nice restaurant near his office. But it was also interrupted because the toddler sitting at the table in his booster seat knocked a cup of apple juice over, sending juice flying all over himself, the floor, and all over me. When I hung up the phone I began the task of cleaning him off, wiping the sticky juice off the table and floor, and finally changing out of the now sticky sweat pants I had not been able to change out of since early that morning. While kneeling on the floor with a rag in my hand I couldn’t help but reflect of the differences between the work my husband was doing and the work I so often did as a mother. I knew in my mind that caring for children mattered but honestly, it was hard to see what could possibly be so important about changing diapers, wiping noses, cleaning muddy feet, and all the other hundreds of mundane chores that seemed to make up my daily life. I reflected on the bachelor’s and master’s degrees I had received and couldn’t help but wonder how after all that preparation I ended up on the floor with a rag in my hand wiping up juice spilled by a toddler. Hadn’t I been prepared to do something more significant? Something that would really make a lasting difference?”
In a survey done in 2005 women said they felt less valued by society when they became a mother. One of my church group leaders said that people looked down on her for deciding to stay home with and have children after she graduated from college. She said that many people would tell her she was making a huge mistake and that it wasn’t worth it but she said I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing. Many mothers don’t feel that society does not value the self-sacrificing work that motherhood requires.
In 1942, the First Presidency made a statement that declared: “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”
The calling of motherhood has been identified as the most ennobling endowment God could give His daughters. The endowment enables women to have a unique influence in the lives of those around them, particularly their children.
The countless acts of service that mothers perform are recognized as expressions of the highest love. Such tasks as feeding, tending, bathing, clothing, wiping, and cleaning become holy works. Through such sacrificing love, a mother creates a foundation from which self-confidence and integrity are woven into the fabric of her child’s character.
One of a mother's main tasks is nurturing growth & development. One of the ways they do that is through creating an environment of safety, peace, and learning. A big part of that is creating routines. Many studies show that having a daily routine aids in a child’s healthy development.
Another way mother’s influence development is through emotional work. Mother’s do emotion work by facilitating conversations about feelings, listening carefully to family members’s feelings, recognizing the importance of feelings and offering encouragement, expressing appreciation, and asking questions to elicit family member's sharing of feelings.
A third way mother’s influence development is through teaching. During infancy, the cognitive stimulation and emotional support mothers give provide a foundation for intellectual and linguistic functioning. As children grow they provide essential stimulation when they ask questions or give suggestions that give the child an opportunity to think. Mothers provide cognitive stimulation for children through reading books; encouraging hobbies; taking them to libraries, museums, and theaters; and providing them with other sources of learning.
As a mother, you are focused on your children’s needs, but it’s important to also care for yourself. You cannot nurture other’s unless you nurture yourself. If you take time for yourself, you will be happier and you will have the ability to be more patient.
Mothering is individual. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Each mother is different. They have different challenges, different skills and abilities, and different children.
Spender W. Kimball said, “Mother’s have a sacred role. They are partners with God, as well as their own husbands, first giving birth to the Lord’s spirit children, and then rearing those children so they will serve the Lord and keep his commandments.” Humbly seeking the Savior's influence and help enables women to become the kinds of mother's they want to be.
Motherhood: The Highest And Holiest Calling
