Key Words
There are so many parenting books out there, don't you think? And there is so much counsel to remember from the leaders of the Church it can be almost overwhelming. Along with all of this I have my own thoughts, inspirations, philosophies about life to coincide with these teachings and the skills I read about. So, how am I to remember it all!?
Recently I had a little epiphany. Why not come up with key words to remember my purpose and mission for each of my roles in life?
So I found 2 key words for each role:
Mother: Agency and Accountability
Wife: Affection and Acceptance
Educator: Inspire and Encourage
Homemaker: Order and Peace
Sibling/Daughter: Connectedness and Love
Disciple of Christ: Relationships and Unity
With these key words in mind I am hoping to be quickly reminded how to act in any given situation.
For example, if my child is acting unruly I can think, "How am I going to allow this child their agency while still teaching them accountability for his actions?"
Or, if I am finding myself nagging my husband more often than I'd like, I can remember the goal I have as a wife to be affectionate and give him a hug rather than another criticism.
Or, if I haven't talked to my siblings or parents in awhile (as we live distances apart) I can think, "What will help us become unified, what does this person need to feel connected?" And then act accordingly.
We can read all about great skills in parenting, but without understanding principles we will not be successful in acquiring those skills. Simple reminders are always helpful in keeping us focused on the principle purpose of our missions and goals. Elder Soares has said, "The Savior banished from His life anything that distracted Him from His mission." We can do likewise by setting up reminders for ourselves, keeping our focus on the purposes for which we were placed here.
Recently I had a little epiphany. Why not come up with key words to remember my purpose and mission for each of my roles in life?
image from en.wikipedia.org |
So I found 2 key words for each role:
Mother: Agency and Accountability
Wife: Affection and Acceptance
Educator: Inspire and Encourage
Homemaker: Order and Peace
Sibling/Daughter: Connectedness and Love
Disciple of Christ: Relationships and Unity
With these key words in mind I am hoping to be quickly reminded how to act in any given situation.
For example, if my child is acting unruly I can think, "How am I going to allow this child their agency while still teaching them accountability for his actions?"
Or, if I am finding myself nagging my husband more often than I'd like, I can remember the goal I have as a wife to be affectionate and give him a hug rather than another criticism.
Or, if I haven't talked to my siblings or parents in awhile (as we live distances apart) I can think, "What will help us become unified, what does this person need to feel connected?" And then act accordingly.
We can read all about great skills in parenting, but without understanding principles we will not be successful in acquiring those skills. Simple reminders are always helpful in keeping us focused on the principle purpose of our missions and goals. Elder Soares has said, "The Savior banished from His life anything that distracted Him from His mission." We can do likewise by setting up reminders for ourselves, keeping our focus on the purposes for which we were placed here.
Comments
Post a Comment