Thoughts from a New Mom

I'm struggling with the expectations I have for my kids. I expect that when I speak they will listen and respond accordingly. I think I have worked too long with adults. I am grateful for a loving husband who patiently reminds me that they are just children. (In all fairness, we actually have to take turns reminding each other.) I am also grateful for the talks in General Conference which reminded me of the great importance of being a mother and teacher. I also realized that if we, as adults, have to have lessons repeated, how much more children need lessons repeated.

I am also casually reading some books that John and I picked up at Deseret Book. ("Casually" meaning a paragraph or page before losing consciousness at night.) My thought for today comes from Before they turn Twelve, by Deborah Pace Rowley. It's actually just from the Introduction because that's as far as I've gotten.

A speaker once compared our children's lives to a basketball game. The children are the players; each parent is a coach. During the first eight minutes of the game, the opposing team is not even allowed on the court. Knowing these rules, wouldn't you have your players stand directly underneath the basket and shoot nonstop for those eight minutes? Potentially, you could be so far ahead after eight minutes that the opposing team could never catch up. . . . It wouldn't be very wise coaching to let the players spend those first eight minutes lounging on the bench, talking to friends in the stands, or dribbling the ball around midcourt. Sure, at the eight-minute make the score would be zero to zero. But it wouldn't take long to fall behind against such a determined opponent and losing the game would be a real possibility.

I know that this is obvious information, but the analogy really struck me. I think it sparked my competitive nature. Anyway, I'm really excited about the book because it has lessons and activities to teach younger children the 18 principles that are covered in For the Strength of the Youth.

I have a goal of teaching a lesson a day to my children. I know that there are teaching moments throughout the day, but I also want to make up for all of the moments that I have missed. These lessons are less formal than a Family Home Evening, but a little more than impromptu. I realized I needed to this when I realized that there are so many lessons I haven't taught them. I can't wait for the teaching moments to come, I need to make them happen.

Well, nap time is over, so I better stop typing and go back to loving and teaching.