‘A wise son makes a glad father but a foolish one is the heaviness of the mother’ Proverbs 10:1
There’s a joke that says when a woman says a child is hers, it’s a statement of fact; but when a man says a child is his, it’s a statement of faith. It seems unfair but whether we like it or not, the burden of raising children rests squarely on the mother’s shoulders as by default, she gets to spend more time with the kids.
Nowadays, not only does home and career vie for her attention, she has the added concern of the amount of information her children get exposed to. Thanks to the internet, the television and other media, she can worry that one day, 4-year-old Tunde might ask her, ‘mummy, why are that mummy and daddy fighting on the bed?’
Here are a few tips that might help you:
- Take control. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all that needs doing but you must be on top of your children’s upbringing.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes, you only have to say the word and you can get great advice from experienced mums.
- Give your children boundaries. I once met a mother who did not allow her 10-year-old to watch High School Musical because guess what, her child is not yet in Secondary School. Be a friend to your children, but you’re first of all their mother.
- Let them never doubt that you love them.
- Get involved in special projects with them to create ‘mummy and me’ times.
- Pray and get wisdom from the Bible.
By Toyin Puddicombe
