Time Out for Women Part 3

Saturday started bright and early. We met at the convention center at 8:15am so we could get better seats than Fridays night. The conference didn't officially start until 9am, but 3,000 other woman had the same idea as us! (We did find some pretty good seats in the middle section!)

Saturday morning...Linda Eyre and her daughter Shawni Pothier

The mother and daughter duo spoke together about Motherhood. They offered 5 "helps" to be a better mother.

#1 Be your own best kind of mom! Everyone comes form different packages, different husbands, and different circumstances.

#2 Infrastructure. Have a family mission statement and/or motto a theme for your family. Something that your family puts together. (Shawni's family is "Learn, Work, Service, Respect". (My family's motto is "All for one, and one for all!" We also have a saying for the boys, "Brothers First") Hold Family Home Evenings and family meeting often and regularly.

#3 Give your children ownership. Have your kids make their own goals they want to achieve. They talked about the "Repenting Bench" which was so cleaver! (I've already used this form of ownership a few times already!!) When the kid are arguing or get mad at one another they have to sit on the "Repenting Bench" until they can say what THEY did wrong. (we used the stairs in our home)For example, we were listening to music in the kitchen the other day when Jackson and Tyler started arguing about it and I had them sit on the stairs and tell me what THEY did wrong in that situation. They both tried to state what the other brother had done first. I would interrupt him and have him start over by stating only what he did wrong. It was pretty cool!

#4 Family traditions. Hold family testimony meetings on Sunday after Fast Sunday. (Make sure they tell how they FELL about Jesus in their testimony. They have a picture of the Savior in every room. (I would add a picture of the family, or brothers in every room as well...)

#5 Teaching your children to work. (Scott and I totally believe in this as well!!) They offered some cleaver ideas how to contract out jobs by the children bidding on them or after you've taught a child a certain chore ie scrubbing the toilet they can then teach a younger sibling to do it and receive a special certificate by doing so.
**Keys for good work:
Print out (List or bubble system)
Patience
Persistence

Cherish those small moments, the moments that make up the tapestry of life.

valuesparenting.com
71toes.blogspot.com
http://powerofmoms.com/