Mothering Moments

OK Mom, you are running late on homeschool. Company is coming and the house is a mess. Supper needed to be in the crock pot two hours ago. You sit down to catch your breath while you look over recipes and then your excited four year old comes to show you the treasure map he just drew. Do you say "uh huh" and continue with what you were doing, treating the interruption as a minor distraction? If so, you are missing out on an important mothering moment. It only takes a minute to put down what you are working on, make eye contact and listen to him share his creation with you. Ask a couple of pertinent questions and then praise and encourage accordingly. In doing so, you are teaching him he is valuable to you.

You see, we teach our children whether we are doing it deliberately or not. If you treat him like a minor distraction, you are telling him other things hold more importance and are more worthy of your time. This is not to imply we should stop trying to manage our home or accomplish things in a timely manner, but we should take a moment to listen to our children when they desire our attention. Being there for our children is what mothering is all about. What better way to communicate to them God is always available for all of their concerns than to model it in our parenting?