There is no more important job in the universe than to raise a child to love God, live productively, and serve humanity. The responsibilities of effective parenthood are staggeringly heavy at times. Children are terribly dependent on their parents and the task of meeting their needs is a full-time job.
Raising kids properly is one of life’s richest challenges. It is not uncommon for a mother, particularly, to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of her parental assignment. In many homes, she is the primary protector for each child’s health, education, intellect, personality, character, and emotional stability. As such, she must serve as physician, nurse, psychologist, teacher, minister, cook and policeman. Since in many cases she is with the children longer each day than her husband, she is the chief disciplinarian and main giver of security and love.
Furthermore, Mom’s responsibilities extend far beyond her children. She must also meet her obligations to her husband, her church, her relatives, her friends, and often times, her employer. Each of these areas demands her best effort, and the conscientious mother often finds herself racing through the day in a breathless attempt to be all things to all people.
There are occasions in the life of every mother when she looks in the mirror and asks, “How am I going to make it through this day?”
HERE SOME ESSENTIALS FOR MOMS:
1. RESERVE TIME FOR YOURSELF.
It is important for a mother to put herself on the priority list, too. At least once a week she should play tennis, go bowling or shopping, stop by the gym, or simply “waste” an occasional afternoon. It is unhealthy for anyone to work all the time, and the entire family will profit from her periodic recreation.
Even more important is the protection and maintenance of romance in her marriage. A husband and wife should have a date every week or two, leaving the children at home and forgetting the day’s problems for an evening. If the family’s finances seemingly prohibit such activities, I suggest that other expenditures be re-examined. I believe that money spent on togetherness will yield many more benefits than an additional piece of furniture or a newer automobile.
2. DON’T STRUGGLE WITH THINGS YOU CAN’T CHANGE.
The first principle of mental health is to learn to accept the inevitable. To do otherwise is to run with the brakes on. Too many people make themselves unhappy over insignificant irritants which should be ignored. In these cases, contentment is no more stable than the weakest link in the chain of circumstances surrounding their lives. All but one of the conditions in a particular woman’s life might be perfect: she has good health, a devoted husband, happy children, plenty of food, warmth and shelter, and a personal challenge. Nevertheless, she might be miserable because she doesn’t like her mother-in-law. This one negative element can be allowed to overshadow all the good fortune surrounding her.
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Reference Courtesy: http://drjamesdobson.org