Motherhood::2

In continuation with my Mothers Who Know theme, today I write about something that is very dear to my heart; Mothers who know are nurturers.

Mothers who know are nurturers. This is their special assignment and role under the plan of happiness.⁵ To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. Therefore, mothers who know create a climate for spiritual and temporal growth in their homes. Another word for nurturing is homemaking. Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home. Home is where women have the most power and influence; therefore, Latter-day Saint women should be the best homemakers in the world. Working beside children in homemaking tasks creates opportunities to teach and model qualities children should emulate. Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth. Growth happens best in a "house of order," and women should pattern their homes after the Lord's house (see D&C 109). Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women.

Mothers who know are nurturers. I think that we often just assume that this means we love on our babes, take care of them and are sure they are safe, happy and loved. This is what I always thought. Until this talk helped me to think of it in a different light.

We all know the old adage, If Mama isn't happy, then no one is happy. What makes us happy and sane? What helps us to breathe easier? For me, it is a clean house.

When I was young we had a chore chart, much like the one that Amanda of Soule Mama just introduced in her home. It was a large felt board with birds (I believe owls, my Mom LOVED owls) and each one was a pocket. We would get a card out of our pocket every Saturday morning to see what we got to do to help around the house.

I never much cared if my room was messy or not. I didn't care if the house was messy or not, I knew that someone would clean it (the house, not my room) so I didn't care.

Now, I care. I have found that when my house is a mess, so am I. I have a much harder time focusing on the nurturing I want and need to do of my little family. When things are in disarray in my home, you can bet they are in disarray in my mind and heart. When my home is cluttered and disorganized, so is my life. There is more yelling, more tears, more heartbreak for all of us.

Another important part of nurturing is nurturing spiritual growth in our little ones. When we give birth, we work with God to bring His Spirit children to earth. It is our responsibility as Mothers, regardless of your religion or spiritual beliefs, to teach them about Him. To teach our children how to return to live with their Father in Heaven someday. Teaching them to pray, to talk to God is so important. Teaching them that no problem is ever too big for the Lord, that they can always pray; this is what it is about. We teach our children temporal self reliance, but how often to we concentrate on the spiritual aspect?

Again, I don't think it matters what religion you are, most of us believe in God, or some Higher Power. Teaching our children that they have someone else they can turn to, someone else to help them along this difficult road of life is essential.

I believe that I am writing this today more for me than I am for you. I opened up this article by Julie B. Beck and this was the paragraph that really stood out to me. I haven't been keeping my house the way I want to. I haven't been praying with my children the way I should. And it has really been showing. We have had more fighting, tears, frustration and sadness in our home the last couple of months.

I am determined that as the sun is shining brighter, to make my home do the same. I am going to make a Family Responsibility Board. We are all in this together, and I don't want to short change my children by not teaching them the value of helping around the house. I want to truly nurture my children and be a Mother who knows.