Motherhood is a deserving reward to the female gender. It is the highest purpose in femininity. It doesn't matter if the child is in the womb or in the heart. It truly is a great privilege to give birth, teach, train and care for their children, helping them deal with the great challenges of mortality.
Being a mom is the most important function that you have. While our children are growing up, we can see that some of the most crucial contributions to their character or who they are come from you, their mother. It is not surprising that we celebrate and show our gratitude to our mothers.
Mothers have a very vital role in their children's lives and without it they, the children, run a serious risk of injury.
1. Love
It is the duty of the mother, before God and man, to love her children. Love given by a mother is different, it is special - it is expressed by kisses, hugs, smiles, touching, conversations, tender looks and approval. These are essential for the development of each individual. A mother needs to express this type of love not only in infancy but throughout life.
2. Feed
When possible, a mother should strive to breastfeed her child. Breastfeeding is crucial for emotional, immunological and nutritional value. Some studies point to breastfeeding as a crucial part in the child's neurological and psychological development. Breastfeeding creates a special bond between mother and child. It is also an expression of love.
It is up to the mother to provide nutritional sustenance from the time the child is six months old. Also when they are in adolescence, a young adult needs a good, nutritious, balanced diet to reach their full height and to be healthy.
3. Teach
Typically the mother spends more time with her children, so she has a great responsibility of what her children are taught.
It is the duty of every mother to teach her children to be educated, virtuous, honest and straight in their dealings with man in every right. She should teach them to love and respect others, avoid contention, respect the laws of the land and of God, to love God and respect sacred things. Children have the right to be nourished spiritually and intellectually.
On the big day, every mother will be held accountable for what they did or didn't teach their children in mortality. If any mothers have a question about what to teach, my advice is; look for answers. Every child will ask who God is and if he exists. Find out for yourself and pray to God for guidance. Don't ignore these types of questions as they may have an eternal impact on your children's lives.
4. Encourage
In order to truly fulfill the duty of a mother, you need to give incentives for your children in relation to school, work, sports, friends, family, and service to others. This is very important as it helps their motivation. It is invaluable for children to have a loving, supporting voice cheering them along the whole time.
5. Advise
Even after all the good a mother can teach her children, there will always be issues that good advice can be the crucial ingredient for the help that the child seeks.
6. Compliment
Compliments are a very important type of feedback that your children need to receive to learn better from you. This also helps them know that what they are doing is a good thing. Praise for something good brings a better result rather than criticism for some mistake. Mothers need to praise them for the effort, not necessarily for the accomplishment of the task at hand. Lots of children make a huge effort but still fail. They still need the recognition for their accomplishments, no matter if they succeed or fail.
Even if you can't spend a lot of time with your children, you still need to constantly show them love, support and give them advice, encouragement, praise and other valuable lessons. Also it is never a bad idea to reiterate things that you have already taught.
We know that many mothers are alone and need to work for many hours to support their children. Therefore it is up to them to evaluate their own lives to see what they need to do and where their limit is in order to support her family and still fulfill her role as a mother.
There are some women who cannot become mothers for one reason or another, but this doesn't mean that they are any less a woman or any less of a wife. You still have the same responsibilities to care for and protect your family in every way you can.
Translated and adapted by Taylor Richardson from the original article, "A verdade sobre as mães: O papel insubstituível que somente as mães possuem" by Erika Strassburger Borba
