Parenting - It's a Tough Job, But SOMEbody's Gotta Do It!

Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God, and to be law-abiding citizens where ever they live. ( The Family: A Proclamation to the World, para. 6)

 

I love this short little clip about a father taking the time to listen to his son. Time... that seems to be one of the biggest obstacles parents face when trying to rear their children. But it is what our children need the most from us. 

Let's face it, raising kids is hard. I don't believe anyone ever said it would be easy, but babies are so cute and fun to have around; however, they're a lot of work. And it doesn't get any easier the older they get. Parenting is the most difficult job there is because no one child is alike, and no mother or father are equal to the next parent.  But there is help, and Heavenly Father has provided a way for parents to rear their children through love and righteousness in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Recently on Facebook I asked the question, "Why does it matter HOW we parent?" I wanted to share the following responses with you:

Just look around at society. The majority of parents are detached, doing their own thing, kids are disposable (abortion, ignoring, or throw money at them instead of investing in them), entitlement mentalities (parents and kids), allowing a socialist education system to teach their children instead of being a part of the process, removal of God, values, ethics and morals, etc.

Go back and look at an episode of Leave it to Beaver... whenever Ward isn't working, he's with June. They are a team, the family is together as a team. And while I realize it's a script... it set a standard for the 50's.

NOW... go look at current programing... draw your own conclusions. Yikes! Society totally reflects media.
Add to it that families/friends sit next to each other and text to each other. We're social beings... created to interact... not be on devices.

I could go on and on... so many reasons why it's critical HOW we parent... because if we don't do it well... the world is chopin' at the bit to take over.

Remember every soul is important in the eyes of GOD. Parenting is all about souls, little pliable minds and spirits. If we love them then we desire to teach them in all things. We then also desire to create in them a love of the arts and of knowledge. To help them understand that others feel the same pain, joy and despair and hope that they feel that they may be gentle in the lives of others. Parenting is basically example. Our example in all things... they become like us. So in parenting we have to look at ourselves in how we must change for the sake of growing better children than ourselves, we need to nourish them properly in all ways. Not just feed them but read to them out loud the best books, create with them in doing art, playing with clay, making bubbles to blow, doing experiments and talking about the results. Parenting is having fun with them, laughing with them, running and jumping, looking at bugs. Parenting should never just be correction, or sternness... but equal to love that our Father in Heaven gives us. He listens to us, thinks about the request or sends us back to think about our request, he makes us use our minds and develop our character.

I love the following video by Elder Hales on parenting:

From the text, Successful Marriages and Families, David A Nelson quoted President Gordon B. Hinckley:

As children grow through the years, their lives, in large measure, become an extension and a reflection of family teaching. If there is harshness, abuse, uncontrollable anger, disloyalty, the fruits will be certain and discernible, and in all likelihood they will be repeated in the generation that follows. If, on the other hand, there is forbearance, forgiveness, respect, consideration, kindness, mercy, and compassion, the fruits again will be discernible, and they will be eternally rewarding. They will be positive and sweet and wonderful.... I speak to fathers and mothers everywhere with a plea to put harshness behind us, to bridle our anger, to lower our voices, and to deal with mercy and love and respect one toward another in our homes. (pg.125)

The most common things you will hear members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourage families to do is daily scripture reading, daily personal and family prayers and weekly family home evenings. When done on a consistent basis we allow the Spirit to enter our homes and teach us, allowing inspiration to come to us individually and collectively for our family's needs.  Nelson concludes by saying, "In short, the family that embraces multiple opportunities to teach will generally find that they need to discipline their children far less often as their children internalize principles and gradually evidence greater ability for self-control" (pg. 126).

The world is a scary place, and we as parents shudder to think that our children will have to enter it combating all that is thrown at them. But we don't have to do it alone and without resources. We have so many tools at our fingertips in the church to help us along the way if we use what we already have at our feet: our homes for prayers, scripture reading and family togetherness.

The most important tools have been given to us by a loving Heavenly Father as he has shown us the path to teaching our children as we do so in love and righteousness. We are their first example and how we treat our children, and the amount of time we devote to them shows them how much we love and care for them.