#1 thing in my life right NOW.

My fav is the mother in the rain.
Imagine how fast the last ten years have gone. Now imagine your teenage daughter/son want nothing to do with you. Imagine that the adult children you have don't want to bring their little children to see you. You never talk to your once upon a time children. They are grown and you ask yourself "Where has the time gone?! Why didn't I.....(Fill in the blank) Those reading this who are not yet mothers, you are a woman. What a gift. You can use this to learn from all our examples.
I have cleared off my schedule with school. I have made new plans. My biography and book will always be there, but my kids will not. I have many goals, but some will just have to wait. Right now I am starting "Operation Motherhood" which means back to basics while my kids are still young. Please post any cute fun ideas for families, FHE, or motherhood. I have decided a few things I am going to do with my kids. I have decided that I want to take control of my life in ways that I can and learn new things.I know that one day I am going to have to teach my kids homemaking skills like cooking, laundry, sewing on a button, finances, cleaning, and so on. I better start learning how so they can be confident themselves. Now is the time to start teaching. Here is the steps that will help me now:
Step 1- Start a schedule. If you want an organized life (or at least somewhat organized) you have to start with a schedule. Kids thrive off of routine.
Here is an example of a routine for my household (It is going to change once the kids are in school)
Step 2- Find time for yourself, so that you too can rejuvenate. When you are on an airplane and a problem occurs, you must put the mask over yourself first. If you aren't taking care of yourself, how are you going to take care of the kids? Find something that makes you happy, whether it is writing, reading, exercises, or planning/scrapbooking... find something for YOU. I for one love to create things. I love to be given a topic and have to research and come up with ideas. I loved coming up with fun ideas for Girls Camp and YW Lessons. Whatever calling I have had I love to put my all in it and come up with creativity. I want this as a mother and plan on it. While I was at Girl's Camp Hannah wrote me a letter that said "Mom I hope you are having fun with your girls" I wanted her to know that Hannah, you and Faith are my girls. Sometimes (if you are like me) we get lost in the shuffle of life and put our children on the back burner. Well no more! I feel like Scrooge who has just woken up to realize there is still time!! What a gift.
Step 3- Get to know each of your children personally. Let them talk to you, even if you feel you don't have time or what they are trying to say is silly. If you think your kids will talk to you when they are 17 and yet you don't want to talk to them when they are 7 you are going to have a big wake up call
Step 4- Be realistic in the world in which we live in. If you think your kids are living in a bubble, guess again. It's not the same world in which we grew up in. You probably just don't know everything they have done, seen, or question,(or will) because once again if you don't want to listen to them now, why would they ever tell you? This is the step in not to Shame. If you are shaming your children into doing something, all you are doing is creating Fear. Fear is the opposite of Faith.
Step 5- Enjoy the journey and LOVE them. Love who they are, even if sometimes they do silly embarrassing things.
You still have ten more years, no matter how old your child is now. It is still TODAY. Let's rejoice in the present, not the past or future. Let's thank God for the time given and learn from others who have gone before us. Let us do what Jospeh Smith has said "To teach children correct principles and let them govern themselves."
Warning: I claim not to be perfect, and even though I am
"preaching" this things out loud, I am doing it for my own good. The number one thing that ruins a mother is ... herself. By having horrible thoughts of what a failure she is will only make matters worse. Rejoice that we aren't perfect, that all we can do is teach and have fun with our children. That we too get to learn. When they are older and they end up down a slippery road, DON'T BLAME YOURSELF. Now is the time. Tomorrow will come and go before we know it, we will wake up and realize our kids are gone, and what will we have to show for it? I for one had plans to finish my teaching degree so I can go teach children. I love teaching and I know I can be just as good by teaching my own. The most important children I can teach is my own. Why rush so fast into getting my degree and letting my children sit on the back burner. When I am done with my degree do I want to say " Ok kids, I can play now" only to look around at my grown children and wonder where the time went? No. NOW IS THE TIME! If you want to join me in my journey of motherhood, through the tears, the smiles, the laughter, and the hardships... then climb aboard and comment your two sense worth once in a while!! If you want to post please do, I will be posting the tips and tricks I have learned so far in being a mother, SAHM, and Wife.