I have this pamphlet that I got at church while Laun & I were dating & attending NAU. I read it every once & awhile & it has the best advice for Mothers that I have ever heard. It is called Mothers in Zion & was an address given at a Fireside for Parents by President Ezra Taft Benson on February 22, 1987. (There is also a pamphlet for the Fathers that is excellent, too). I have a great love for Ezra Taft Benson. Maybe since I lived in his childhood home for a short while last year & actually slept in the room he was born in, I feel a greater connection with him. The whole pamphlet is wonderful but, I would like to share one part of it & I will just summarize it.
Ezra Taft Benson tells Mothers:
Ten Ways to Spend Time with Children
1. Be at the crossroads
Be there when your children are coming or going, when they leave & return from school , bring friends home, etc. "A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."
2. Be a Real Friend
Listen to your children, talk w/ them, laugh & joke w/ them, sing w/ them, play w/ them, cry w/ them, hug them, honestly praise them. Regularly spend unrushed one-on-one time w/ each child.
3. Read to Your Children
Starting from the cradle, read to your sons & daughters. You will plant a love for good literature & a real love for the scriptures if you will read to your children regularly.
4. Pray with Your Children
Have family prayers under the direction of the Father, morning & night. Have children participate in family & personal prayers.
5. Have Weekly Home Evenings
Have a meaningful, spiritual, & uplifting home evening each week. Have the children get involved & teach them correct principles. Make this one of your great family traditions.
6. Be Together at Mealtimes
Take time to have meals together as often as possible, this is a challenge as children get older & lives get busier. But happy conversation, sharing of the day's plans & activities, & special teaching occurs at mealtimes.
7. Read Scriptures Daily
Individual scripture reading is important, but family scripture reading is vital. The Book of Mormon will increase spirituality in your home & will change the lives of your family.
8. Do Things as a Family
Make family outings, picnics, birthdays, & trips special times & memory builders. Whenever possible, attend, as a family, events where one of the family members are involved, such as a play, ball game, etc. Attend church together. Mothers who help families pray & play together will stay together & will bless children's lives forever.
9. Teach Your Children
This can be done anytime during the day- mealtime, walks, at the foot of the bed at the end of the day, etc. Mothers, you are your children's best teacher. A mother's love & prayerful concern for her children are the most important ingredients in teaching her own. Then he mentions several things we should teach our children: gospel principles, modesty, love for work, value of a good education, etc. Your children will remember your teachings forever, and when they are old, they will not depart from them. This motherly teaching takes time- lots of time. It cannot be done effectively part-time. It must be done all the time in order to save & exalt your children. This is your divine calling.
10. Truly Love Your Children
A mother's unqualified love approaches Christ like love. Lie on the grass with them, tell stories, hug them. You are an almighty factor of shaping your child for weal or woe. Your teenage children also need that same kind of love & attention, not indulgence. They need empathy, understanding, time, teachings, love, & your confidence in them.
It is clear that Prophets are inspired by God & I feel grateful that we have modern day revelation. I am always wondering as a mom what is the best way to use my time or what is most important. I think following these ten steps that Ezra Taft Benson has provided will truly help my family & I find true & meaningful happiness.
