The Role of Mother
"MOTHERS HAVE A SACRED ROLE. THEY ARE PARTNERS WITH GOD, AS WELL AS WITH THEIR OWN HUSBANDS, FIRST IN GIVING BIRTH TO THE LORD'S SPIRIT CHILDREN, AND THEN IN REARING THOSE CHILDREN SO THEY WILL SERVE THE LORD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS"
(Kimball, 1976).
God's Greatest Work
"God chose mothers to bear the responsibility of providing physical bodies for His children through the miraculous process of pregnancy and birth. Being a mother means participating in the miracle that is God’s greatest work. Thomas S. Monson, a modern-day prophet, said, 'One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one'" (The Church, 2015).
A woman's divine role as mother and nurturer of souls is an eternally significant calling. It extends to all women and is not limited to flesh and blood alone. Whenever a woman teaches, nurtures, uplifts, or comforts another, she is fulfilling her divine role as mother.
A Mother's Influence
"Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother's image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child's mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world" (McKay, 1953).
"A mother's attentive love in this new relationship becomes the foundation by which all of the other tasks of mothering become effective" (Erickson, 2012). "Her maternal sensitivity is the strongest, most consistent predictor of her child's cognitive, social and emotional development" (NICHD, 2003). "Children do best when mothers show love by communicating about and being aware of their activities and behaviors. Expressing love through listening, communicating, and monitoring enables a mother to be warm and supportive while setting and enforcing appropriate limits" (Erickson, 2012).
"MOTHERS ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NURTURE OF THEIR CHILDREN"
(The Church, 1995).
Sustaining Life
"From the moment of her child's birth, a mother faces the realization that a fragile life depends on her. Her fear for the baby's survival and growth...make her vigilant and attentive to finding the best food, care, and medical help, and avoiding possible dangers" (Erickson, 2012).
A Safe Home
Mothers create a safe, peaceful place for children to learn and grow. "A central part of creating that environment is through organizing the home and family so that routines and rituals are carried out effectively. Having ordered and predictable routines (waking up, getting dressed, taking vitamins or medications, brushing teeth, going to school, doing homework, eating dinner, going to bed) is central to children's healthy development. Mothers have the primary role in carrying out family rituals and traditions (such as Christmas, Easter, family celebrations including birthdays, and distinctive family traditions...and service projects)".
"For preschool and school-age children, routines and rituals are especially important in helping with self-regulation, skill development, problem solving, and development of good academic habits. For adolescent children, routines and rituals have been associated with a sense of identity and family belonging, warmth in relationships with parents, fewer risk behaviors, and better psychological health" (Fiese, 2006).
Emotional Support
Mothers maintain and strengthen family relations and well-being. "Mothers do this emotion work by facilitating conversation about feelings, listening carefully to family members' feelings, recognizing the importance of feelings and offering encouragement, expressing appreciation, and asking questions to elicit family members' sharing of feelings." When a mother is available at the "crossroads" of a child's day (before and after school, bedtime, and meals), her emotional support can be particularly effective. "Children also seem to be more inclined to open up and share when working alongside parents in household responsibilities...[which] provide opportunities for thoughts and feelings to be shared while hands are busy working" (Erickson, 2012).
Teaching
A mother's "expression of positive emotions, without inappropriately intruding or restraining, fosters a secure environment for children to learn and grow" (Hubbs-Tait, 2002). "The cognitive stimulation and emotional support mothers provide lay the foundation for intellectual and linguistic functioning throughout development." Mothers teach by reading to pre-school and school-age children, teaching concepts, encouraging hobbies, exploring through the library, museum, and theater, exposing them to books and other learning in the home. They can also teach wisdom and truth during everyday dinnertime conversations, car rides, shared work, and one-on-one time together (Erickson, 2012).
References
Kimball, Spencer W. (1976). The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood. Ensign, March, 70-73.
Erickson, Jenet J. (2012). Mothers As Nurturers. In A. Hawkins (Ed.), Successful marriages and families: Proclamation principles and research perspectives (p. 128-139). Provo, UT:
BYU Studies and School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.
Feise, B.H. (2006). Family routines and rituals. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Hubbs-Tait, L. (2002). Relation of maternal cognitive stimulation, emotional support, and intrusive behavior during Head Start to children's kindergarten cognitive
abilities. Child Development, 73, 110-131.
McKay, David O. (1953). Gospel Ideals: Selections from the discourses of David O. McKay. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 452.
NICHD. (2003). Does amount of time spent in child care predict social-emotional adjustment during the transition to kindergarten? Child Development, 74, 976-1005..
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (1995). The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Ensign, November, 102.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (2015). Motherhood. Retrieved from http://motherhood.mormon.org