Week 12: Parenting

"To you who are parents, I say, show love to your children. You know you love them, but make certain they know it as well. They are so precious. Let them know. Call upon Heavenly Father for help as you care for their needs each day as you deal with these challenges which inevitably come with parenthood. You need more than your own wisdom in rearing them." - Thomas S. Monson

I am so grateful to have grown up with parents that made sure I knew they loved me. They showed it through their actions and through their words and it's something I will never forget.The loving home I grew up in is one that I hope to have in the future. Now, I'm not a parent right now, but I'm doing all I can to prepare for that exciting time in my life.

Sometimes it worries me to see how bad the world is getting. It makes me wonder if we really should be bringing children into this crazy world. Our parents say that my life is harder than theirs was at my age. I've experienced things that my parents never had because the world is changing. For example, think of media. My parents didn't have a computer that could fit in their hands. Technology did not dominate their time. And think of movies and tv. There weren't too many sex scenes in the PG-13 movies my parents watched. Today, you can rarely find a tv show or movie that isn't crude, suggestive, and even pornographic at times. I can only imagine how things will be for my children.

Even though I worry, I know that my children will be fine. I can't control how crazy the world gets, but I can set the tone in my home. I can raise my children to be strong, kind, honest, and to be in the world but not of the world. That is why I chose the major I'm in. I want to be as prepared as I can to help my future children as they grow and learn.

My parents taught me many, many, MANY lessons and are still teaching me lessons to this day. One of my favorite lessons my parents taught me was to be happy and to laugh. They taught me that nothing is worth being upset about, but that we can always find joy in difficult circumstances. When my brother was going through a difficult divorce, we could have all been debbie downers, but we found humor in the situation. That humor is what kept us going and brought us closer to each other as a family. When I was a missionary, I remembered to find the humor in difficult situations. My companions and I could be on the verge of tears, but we always found something to laugh about.

In my class this week my professor touched on a topic that stood out to me. He shared that many parents have asked him how they can get their children to do what they want. My professor's response was that parenting in not about getting your children to do what you want. It's about influencing them for good. The more we seek to control our children, the less influence we will have for good. Think about those parents who are extremely controlling of their children. Almost always, these children will be rebellious. I've seen it in friends and family and it can be destructive. The purpose of parenting is to protect and prepare children to survive and thrive in the world which they will live. I think that most importantly as a parent, it's crucial that you make sure your children are loved.