Teaching Our Children

If there was one quality of mine that has served as both a blessing and a curse, it is my amazing ability to speak my mind. Clearly. Straightforward. When I speak with kindness, I've been able to lift and bless, love and nurture those in my life. When my tounge has been faster than my mind and heart and reason, well - let's just say that the term "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is SO not true. As I've grown older, and especially since marrying my sweetheart 10 years ago, I've tried to reign in the curse part of my quick wit and mouth and just, well, shut it when needs be.
With my children, I've been particularly sensitive to not just my WORDS but also the TONE and volume of my voice. One of our favorite sayings around our house is: "It's not what you say, but how you say it."

Sometimes we need to give ourselves a few minutes, or a few days, before responding to a situation to make sure that when we answer, we are giving the answer that we really mean and want to give. I'm so grateful for the Spirit that can let me know when to SAY it and when to let it go.

Today is Sunday and I'm home from church with our oldest daughter, who is recovering from her toncscilectomy. Everyone else is gone. It's snowing outside. And I'm DYING to do some work around the house. Just the usual stuff, re-arrange the furniture, a little paint here, a little wall-paper there, etc. etc. etc. After getting the rest of the family off to church the itch to DO intensified and I could feel this nagging irritation creeping into my soul. I was getting cranky! For no apparent reason. But the Spirit quickly reminded me that I hadn't had the time to pray and read from the scriptures yet. So I did. It was amazing - I read, like THREE chapters (yes, chapters, not just verses). That NEVER happens. And THEN, after tending to my daughters needs, I was able to flip through and read TWO talks from conference. WHOA!

I know, I know......you might think that I'm making this up, but  I promise I'm not. There was just so much QUIET around here. I came across my Relief Society Lesson Schedule and saw that my lesson for next month is --------"The Sabbath Day". Whoa? Oh, yeah. And then, as if it weren't obvious enough the last conference talk that I read was this one:

Click HERE to read or listen to "Stay on the Path"

And the top quote of the talk (for me?) :

"The world will teach our children if we do not, and children 

are capable of learning all the world will teach them at a very 

young age. What we want them to know five years from now 

needs to be part of our conversation with them today. Teach 

them in every circumstance; let every dilemma, every 

consequence, every trial that they may face provide an 

opportunity to teach them how to hold on to gospel truths."

This would be one of the blessing parts of my talk, talk, talk, talking. My children know a lot. NO, I'm not bragging - I promise. But part of my testimony as a Mother is that the above quote is 100% true. In 5 years, my oldest daughter will be turning 14. (ahhhhh!) My oldest son will be turning 12. So, we can teach our children every single part of the plan of salvation from the earliest age. Not only by talking to them, but by our examples. And when we make mistakes, which I happen to do every day, the best thing that I can do is to TALK via. acknowledging that I messed up and that I was wrong.

It's difficult to internalize the fact that if we are constantly talking to our children through our days - good and bad. If we share with them our inner struggles, our plan of attack to come out on Christ's side, and then tell them when we come through. They will learn. They will learn that "Parenting With LOVE and Logic" is how our Heavenly Father parents us also.

So, back to my "dilemma" in the first paragraph. No painting today. Please excuse me while I go play with legos. :)