Mothers Are The "Great Teacher"

 With Mother's Day just around the corner, my thoughts began to turn to all of the things I do and have done for my children and family in general as a mother. I see all of the fuzzy feelings and tender-hearted commercials trying to tell children what the perfect gift for mom would be. But is there an appropriate gift to give the one who gives their all?

I thought about Jesus and how he laid his life down for humanity so they could have a shot at eternal life. The giving of himself so fully for others - others never met yet whom he was willing to die for. Moms are not up there with Jesus, but there is no other example of a person giving their all, including their life for someone they love, than a mother.

I must admit there are some terrible mothers out there. There is not a hallmark card for them though. It isn't an easy job. but, even with their imperfections; their children love them deeply. So, for me to say 'there are some terrible moms' would be too flippant, judgmental, and downright horrible. So, I will separate the less than perfect mom, my category, from criminal moms. 

I love listening to the commercials encouraging people to adopt. They target in on the fact that you do not have to be cool, a rocket scientist, or child psychologist to be a loving person willing to adopt a child needing to be loved.

I wanted to take the time to appreciate those who are in this institution of motherhood, adoptive mom. Raising a child with shared DNA is one thing, but choosing to raise a child with the same amount of love and dedication who does not share any familial connection, is epic. A mother's love knows no bounds.

Mothers are the TEACHERS of the world. They fill this position sometimes with little or no training. It is simpler to answer the question what a mother doesn't teach than what does she teach. Even for men who cannot tolerate being under the authority of a woman began their lives being under the authority of a woman, his mother. He was once shaped and molded by a woman.

Mothers do not have a standard checklist in which they tick off all of the things they successfully teach their children. Maybe it would help in child rearing if they did. But one teaching mothers have let slip by the wayside is teaching their sons and daughters HOW to be a spouse. This is evident with people looking for or in a relationship wanting to be a POWER COUPLE, forgetting what MARRIAGE is truly about. You may ask if it is an actual duty of a mother to teach her child how to be a spouse and the answer is YES.

Titus 2:1–5 in the Bible says, "You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God".

In this passage we see older women are supposed to carry themselves in a certain way and in turn teach younger women to do the same. In this teaching of how an older woman is supposed to live is the teaching of the younger woman how to be a wife and MOTHER (young men should be taught also how to be a husband and father).

I'm sure since there is wording regarding being SUBMISSIVE to the husband and doing housework, women prefer to not acknowledge this Bible passage. Whether the passage is embraced or not, being a spouse/mother is something that should be TAUGHT and not done by the seat of the pants. If children were being taught marriage and parenthood can be rewarding and what each is supposed to look like when healthy, then maybe today's nuclear family structure would not be threatened. We groom our children for careers and income but not how to be spouses and parents. Why should it be taught in the case of women? Because a mother becomes a GREAT TEACHER. It would seem it falls to the father to make sure the son learns how to be a husband and father but remember who the primary teacher in the home is. And sons definitely need to be taught how to be a good husband and father the entirety of their childhood.

Teachers in the American educational system state with just cause that they are underpaid for their work in teaching the future of America and underappreciated. Likewise, a mother, the FOREVER teacher is not comparably compensated for her work and her contribution to society is woefully underappreciated. 

Sometimes motherhood is a thankless position of late hours and few seeable benefits. But, upon reflection it turns out to be filled with benefits. Nothing can ever compare to that first whiff of innocence/newness I inhaled the first time I held each of my daughters for the first time. That was priceless. All of the funny faces they made at new discoveries made me smile. The laughter that tickled my ears at the simplest of things they found to be hilarious, and I had long ago taken for granted, made me smile. I have memories filled with smiles. If I were offered millions for my mother memories, I would turn it down. So, to all of the mothers out there; happy Mother's Day from me.

No matter what your mothering style is, preparing your child for marriage and parenthood or not, all that you do DO is invaluable. But of course, there is someone who did put a value on it.

According to ZipRecruiter, as of April 30, 2024, the average hourly pay for a stay-at-home mom in the United States is $16.32, and the average hourly pay for a housewife is $22.95. A 2019 survey from Salary.com estimated that the median annual salary for stay-at-home moms is $178,201, which includes traditional roles like housekeeper, dietitian, and day care teacher, as well as newer roles like network administrator, social media communications, and recreational therapist. Not too shabby, eh?

Heather Chrudimsky states that a stay-at-home moms perform many necessary duties, have important responsibilities that serve as the glue in a family/household that keeps it together and running smoothly. Their duties don't run on a 9 to 5 schedule and there is no punch out time. Below is her listing of a mother's duties.

10. Administrative assistant: run errands, answer the phone, pay bills, fill out paperwork, organize and schedule activities,
9. Chef: whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner. Cooking responsibilities are on the shoulders of the stay-at-home - all while taking care of the kids.
8. Tutor/teacher: Time to bring out the math, science, spelling, etc. skills back out. No matter what the age, homework help is a staple in a stay-at-home mom's day.
7. Chauffeur: Whether it's to school, choir, dance, sports practice, dentist, doctor, friend's house, park, grocery store, etc., stay-at-home moms spend just about as much time in their vehicle as a truck driver.
6. Daycare provider: Kiddos are obviously a stay-at-home mom's top priority. Making sure they are busy, safe and engaged is a constant.
5. Referee: Literally and figuratively. Children fight and it is the job of mom to make sure no one is hurt, and lessons are learned.
4. Doctor/nurse: Band-aids, ointment and mommy kisses - nothing cures a boo-boo better.
3. Psychiatrist: Whether is it helping little ones understand their growing emotions or healing a first broken heart - mom is always there to offer a shoulder to cry on and give advice of course.
2. Maid/homemaker: Just call them domestic divas - name the cleaning chore, stay-at-home moms have done it.
1. Family mascot/boss: Regardless of a family's makeup, moms are the family centerpiece, keeping the family together, making sure everything runs smoothly and keeping everyone happy.

Seems like mothers might need regular vacation time WITH PAY.

For children, whatever you decide to give your mother for Mother's Day; expensive or not, make sure you smother her with 'thank yous' and 'love yous' because this is music to a mother's ears.