Parenting

When I asked my mom what the best part of parenting is, she said, “Watching your kids learn and grow in life and in the gospel, and having fun together.” My husband and I aren’t parents quite yet, but we will be in May. We’re so excited and we have been thinking a lot about the blessing that it is to be parents. There are so many aspects to parenting. It requires hard work, sacrifice, learning, joy, and as my mom said, fun. 

The desire to be parents is a divine desire. Few believe it is worthwhile.  There are so many other jobs a person could have, so many other things they could do with their time. Why would someone want to sacrifice so much to become a parent? For me, it is because I want to change lives. I know that the best place to do that is in the home. I want to raise children to be happy and kind and hard working. I want to learn from my children and become the best version of myself. I believe that the benefits of parenting far outweigh the costs. It is a blessing. 

One of the blessings that comes from parenting is the chance to learn. Parents have to learn problem solving, maturity, patience, and love. They also have to learn to see things from a new perspective, to understand their children. They learn from the children as well. Children are the purest souls on the earth. They have so much to teach, and as parents take the time to get to know their children and love them, they will learn great and important lessons. 

Parenting also provides a great opportunity for sacrifice. As a parent, one cannot have the attitude that “it’s all about me.” In parenting, it isn’t. It’s all about others. When we reach out to others and make it our goal to help others find happiness, we will ultimately be happier. Happiness comes from looking outside of ourselves and focusing on others. Parenting is an excellent way to do that. 

Of course, there are some difficulties that arise with parenting. Some of those include feeling inadequate, lack of knowledge, agency of children, exhaustion, etc. Parents don’t have all the answers. It is easy to feel that they are not good enough or they don’t know how to help their children. This can be a difficulty experienced by parents. Children also make poor decisions, regardless of what their parents have taught them. It can be difficult for parents to not blame themselves for those decisions and feel pain for their child. Parenting is also extremely tiring. It is a full-time job plus some. These difficulties are common, and can discourage some from having children. However, as I said before, I believe the benefits of parenting outweigh the costs. 

Earlier, my family and I were discussing all the crazy things that happened growing up including accidents, injuries, and bad babysitters. The list included second degree burns, broken bones, split open heads, gas from the stove being left on, etc. Children can get into a great deal of trouble, and parenting is definitely not boring. There are so many things to be aware of, but all parents can do it their best and learn as they go. 

I was blessed with incredible parents who loved us and provided well for us. They both work so hard to make sure we have the things we need and they always show us how much they love us. I am grateful for their examples. I know they are not perfect, but I know they do their best and I am grateful for that. Sometimes the thought of becoming a parent in a few months is overwhelming, but I know it is the best thing for me and it will be a tremendous blessing. As parents strive to do their best to love and support their children, homes and families will be happier. 

Fathers

When people hear the term “fathering”, they may think of different things. Some believe it simply means to make the genetic contribution to create life. Others may think it’s to be a provider in the workplace, but uninvolved at home. For me, fathering and fatherhood is so much more. 

Fatherhood is comprised of many roles and responsibilities including presiding over his family, providing for his family, and protecting his family. This all involves being an active participant in the lives of his children. Fathers can have a profound influence on their children and who they become. I am grateful for the father that I had to help raise me into the person that I am today. 

My father has always worked extremely hard to provide for our needs. He made it a goal that we would never have to go without, and he has worked hard to make that happen. Not only does he provide for our physical needs, but our spiritual and emotional needs as well. He always watches out for us and supports us in all we do. My father has also been a wonderful presider. He is the head of our family and has fulfilled that role well. 

He also has been an excellent protector. I am known in my family for being scared of everything, but I have always felt safe when my dad is around. He has also helped protect us spiritually. He and my mother have taught us the doctrines of the gospel and helped us gain testimonies that safeguard us from the adversary’s temptations. 

I have often gone to my dad for advice and wisdom. He has been a constant support in my life. As I was growing up, I would often feel insecure about who I was and how I looked and he would always help me remember that I am a daughter of God and that I am loved. As I got older, he would put together challenges for us to eat healthy and exercise together. This was just a simple example of how he supports us. 

In April of this year, I decided that I wanted to run a marathon. I was needing to get in shape, and I thought training for a marathon would be an excellent way to do that. I called my dad and asked him if he would be willing to train for the marathon with me, and he was more than happy to agree. We trained hard for two months and planned on running a half marathon at the halfway point of our training. Most of my family participated in the half marathon, but my dad and I were slower than the rest, and we had the opportunity to run it together. Weeks of long runs and a difficult race helped strengthen my relationship with my dad. Neither one of us are built like distance runners. This was an incredibly difficult physical and mental task for both of us, but we did it together. I am grateful that my dad is so loving and supportive that when I asked him to train with me, he jumped right on the idea and helped me reach that goal. We’ve had to postpone the full marathon for a while because of a knee injury that my dad had, and because I am 3 months pregnant. But the goal is still there and I am grateful that my dad will help me achieve it. 

I am grateful that I have so many examples of wonderful fathers in my life. My husband is one of those examples. He is kind, patient, and hard working. I am so excited to see him fulfill his role of father to our child that we will have in 6 months. I know he will be incredible. 

Fathers have the opportunity and blessing to build a special bond with their children. They are crucial to family life and are wonderful blessings. We all need to take the time to think about and thank the fathers in our lives for their influence and the blessing they are. As we do so, we can strengthen our family relationships and we will have happier families and homes.