Mothers Who Know are Teachers

My focus the last few weeks:

"Mothers who know are always teachers. Since they are not babysitters, they are never off duty. A well-taught friend told me that he did not learn anything at church that he had not already learned at home. His parents used family scripture study, prayer, family home evening, mealtimes, and other gatherings to teach. Think of the power of our future missionary force if mothers considered their homes as a pre-missionary training center. Then the doctrines of the gospel taught in the MTC would be a review and not a revelation. That is influence; that is power."

This one has really had me thinking...how am I really at teaching my children? Am I fully grasping those precious moments when my children are the most teachable? A friend once told me she found that she was able to get her children to open up more when riding in the car than any other time during the day. I need to utilize car time more. Sometimes I just really enjoy listening to music, and my kids do to, so we easily get caught up with songs on the radio. As I consciously turned the radio off the last few weeks and facilitated conversations, I too was amazed at what I was able to learn about my kids. Now two of my three are talkers. They love to talk, share and tell me everything that goes on in their lives. One, on the other hand, holds things more closely to her chest. It's not that she doesn't share the important things with me because she does, but it is more the everyday details she doesn't deem worth sharing. The car time worked magic with her! As we rode together with no other distractions, asking the right questions, and enthusiastically listening, I learned so much about her days at school then I ever have before.

It was during the time when I was thinking about this that we had a special stake conference. A visiting authority talked about our roles as parents and particularly mothers. He taught that as mothers we need to be environmentalists, more aware about the environment we are creating for our children and what influences we are allowing into our home. He then said that as parents and mothers our role is to introduce our children to the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost then introduces them to the Savior.

I've been thinking A LOT about this. Yes, my children have had spiritual experiences and can recognize them as such. But I don't think I have taught them to use the spirit when making their own decisions as I ought to do. Admittedly control is something I cling to and have a hard time handing over to them. I'm learning more and more the importance of letting them learn how to properly control their own lives and decisions. And to me there is nothing of greater importance than the skill of learning the language of the spirit, recognizing the answers and promptings when they come and then acting upon them.

I'm grateful that this has caused me to step back at times, loosen my grip and turn certain things over to them. I need to do better at teaching them to turn to the Lord. It's been an "ah ha" moment in many ways as I've recognized the need for me improve and do better.