WC: Parenting for Young Mothers

This was my favorite class at Women's Conference. I learned something amazing from almost all of the classes I attended, but this one truly connected with things I've been thinking about and concerned about recently. Hmm...Maybe that's because I'm smack in the middle of the experiences they talked about? There were 4 speakers in this session--and I really wished that they all had their own hour-long session to speak because they were all so wonderful. I think the part that really connected with me the most, and the one thing I've really worked on since Women's Conference ended was taught by the first speaker, Sue Egan.

Sis. Egan began by talking about lists. We all know about those mommy lists...because we all have them in some form or another. They're the ones you write at the beginning of each day detailing what needs to be done. And, quite often, when something unexpected comes up, we write that on the list as well--just so we can cross it off! Then, relating her goal to have the spirit in her home, Sis. Egan explained that her goal also seemed to be something she would put on her list and rush through the day to accomplish. So, she thought about what she could do to invite the spirit into her home throughout the day. There were a few things she felt needed to happen. First, she cut out extraneous activities, made sure she did something for herself during the day, and asked Heavenly Father to teach her how to accomplish this goal.

As she prayed, she felt little inspirations throughout the day. (I like to call them "packets of sunshine.") One bit of sunshine was the phrase "Choose joy." In the moments when life (or the kids) got a little out-of-control, she could choose to be frustrated, angry, impatient, or she could choose to find joy, be patient, loving, etc. As she began to think more along these lines, she noticed that her home was becoming more peaceful.

Another bit of sunshine came as she was sitting at the base of the clean laundry version of Mt. Everest. Instead of grumbling through her work, (which is often what I do when laundry is involved), she had the thought that every time she folded an article of clothing, she should remember how the child it belonged to blessed their home. I felt like this was a beautiful way to remember why we are doing these mundane tasks. It really would turn the drudgery into an act of love and service--and I appreciated this perspective.

Finally, she told a story about her granddaughter's soccer team. When they first started a couple of years ago, the 4-year old girls would skip across the field holding hands, pick flowers, or just twirl in the middle of nowhere. This year, it's a team of 6-year olds. Even though they're older and make a better effort, they still struggle a bit in the execution of the game. During one play, the ball was on the right sideline and the coach yelled, "Kick it to the other side!" One little girl ran over and kicked the ball, which landed in the middle of the field. The next little girl ran over, and instead of kicking the ball into the net, she remembered her coach's command and kicked it to the left sideline where it went out of bounds. Immediately, the crowd erupted into cheers of "Good try!" to encourage this little girl, who threw up her arms and did a little victory dance. Sis. Egan drew a parallel between this situation and our lives. Even when we, as parents, kick the ball into left field, the Savior is cheering us on and telling us, "Good try!"

One of the final things Sis. Egan said was that Heavenly Father can do remarkable things with our best efforts, even if those efforts are feeble in our eyes. We need to trust that, as Boyd K. Packer said, "God knows [we] are enough." (This was quoted in two different sessions at Women's Conference and I didn't write down the reference...I'll have to see if one of my friends wrote it down.) When we are confident that we are enough, we are able to enjoy the journey more and savor the season we're in.