| by Maxine A. Randall May/June issue, 2008 |
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| Honoring Mommies (and Daddies) |
© 2004-2010 Speakable Gifts |
the Lord thy God giveth thee." Exodus 20:12
The fifth commandment. How well we know it. It's to be obeyed, as all the
commandments, by the youngest child and continued to be obeyed all our lives. We
should honor our parents when we are little people and we should be continuing to
honor them throughout our lives, even after they're gone. Now that Mother's Day and
Father's Day are here again, my thoughts go to this commandment, and I'm thinking
about how we can help our children honor their mommies, who are so often taken for
granted. Most of the readership of these newsletter articles will be women, which
explains the focus on mothers. Also, I feel quite certain that the great majority of
wives and mothers who read this will be seeing to it that Dad is honored when his
day comes. And I do believe he will do his best to do the same. Notice I said he'll do
his best. But you see. . .well, it's just that dads need a bit of assistance sometimes.
Moms, let's help your hubbies out by giving them a little direction so they can help the
young ones honor YOU. One of the most precious ways that children can do this is by
having them make a card that they've crafted themselves. Little fingers and hands
drawing or cutting and pasting and folding their own little creation, which is often
rough edged, or lopsided or almost unreadable. But it's one of the most loving acts
that come from hearts of gratitude and one of the most precious treasures that any
parent ever receives. Maybe a Sunday school teacher or someone else will be helping
them, but I think it's all the better if they do this with their dads. There's something
more memorable about that combo working together to honor the mommy who does
so much for everyone else.
So don't be ashamed to suggest this, Moms. It's not so much that you're being
self-serving or anything like that. Really, it's for the sake of your children, teaching
them to think beyond themselves and give of themselves. Their time and efforts
spent for mommy (and daddy) are pleasing to God, and this is one way to teach them
that. More often than not, they are tickled pink about making cards for people they
love.
The card may simply be a sheet of colored paper that's folded in half and have
pictures drawn with crayons. It can be cut in half and then a half can be folded. It can
be decorated with stickers. This would be pretty easy for a dad to help with. He can
show them how to write the words L-O-V-E and M-O-M-M-Y if the children are quite
young and how to form the letters of their own name. The older ones will delight in
being able to spell the words on the cards themselves, even if the spellings are
wrong! All the more precious!
I also have some further help for the helper of this enterprise: A few links that I think
might stimulate more creativity. Look them over and see if there are any that might
be of particular interest to your husband and children. You know them better than I
do, so see if any are suitable. Whatever your family decides to do, I hope it will be
another step in your parenting that will lead your sons and daughters to a life of
honoring God, and their parents.
The fifth commandment. How well we know it. It's to be obeyed, as all the
commandments, by the youngest child and continued to be obeyed all our lives. We
should honor our parents when we are little people and we should be continuing to
honor them throughout our lives, even after they're gone. Now that Mother's Day and
Father's Day are here again, my thoughts go to this commandment, and I'm thinking
about how we can help our children honor their mommies, who are so often taken for
granted. Most of the readership of these newsletter articles will be women, which
explains the focus on mothers. Also, I feel quite certain that the great majority of
wives and mothers who read this will be seeing to it that Dad is honored when his
day comes. And I do believe he will do his best to do the same. Notice I said he'll do
his best. But you see. . .well, it's just that dads need a bit of assistance sometimes.
Moms, let's help your hubbies out by giving them a little direction so they can help the
young ones honor YOU. One of the most precious ways that children can do this is by
having them make a card that they've crafted themselves. Little fingers and hands
drawing or cutting and pasting and folding their own little creation, which is often
rough edged, or lopsided or almost unreadable. But it's one of the most loving acts
that come from hearts of gratitude and one of the most precious treasures that any
parent ever receives. Maybe a Sunday school teacher or someone else will be helping
them, but I think it's all the better if they do this with their dads. There's something
more memorable about that combo working together to honor the mommy who does
so much for everyone else.
So don't be ashamed to suggest this, Moms. It's not so much that you're being
self-serving or anything like that. Really, it's for the sake of your children, teaching
them to think beyond themselves and give of themselves. Their time and efforts
spent for mommy (and daddy) are pleasing to God, and this is one way to teach them
that. More often than not, they are tickled pink about making cards for people they
love.
The card may simply be a sheet of colored paper that's folded in half and have
pictures drawn with crayons. It can be cut in half and then a half can be folded. It can
be decorated with stickers. This would be pretty easy for a dad to help with. He can
show them how to write the words L-O-V-E and M-O-M-M-Y if the children are quite
young and how to form the letters of their own name. The older ones will delight in
being able to spell the words on the cards themselves, even if the spellings are
wrong! All the more precious!
I also have some further help for the helper of this enterprise: A few links that I think
might stimulate more creativity. Look them over and see if there are any that might
be of particular interest to your husband and children. You know them better than I
do, so see if any are suitable. Whatever your family decides to do, I hope it will be
another step in your parenting that will lead your sons and daughters to a life of
honoring God, and their parents.
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