Words of Encouragement

There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part-or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else.....
.....We need to remember that the full commitment of motherhood and of putting children first can be difficult. Through my own four-generation experience in our family, and through discussions with mothers of young children throughout the Church, I know something of a mother’s emotions that accompany her commitment to be at home with young children. There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made. Sometimes even husbands seem to have no idea of the demands upon their wives.....
.....The first question: What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more? Second, don’t over schedule yourselves or your children. Third, even as you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel.....
.....Let us remember that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” I pray that God will continually bless the women of the Church to find joy and happiness in their sacred roles as daughters of God.
- M. Russell Ballard