More Great Mommy Advise!

These quotes come from the book I am finishing up called: The Mother At Home by John S.C. Abbot. It was written in 1833! It has just as much application for today as it did then.

The two chapters I am quoting from are called: Religious Instruction Parts 1 & 2.

• "It is certainly vain to hope that you can induce your children to fix their affections upon another world, while yours are fixed upon this one." Powerful! I think we sometimes have higher expectations of our children then we do of ourselves. He says later on "The parent must strive to be herself, just what she wishes her child to be." Do you want your children to have a kind tone? To remain calm? To be joyful? To be grateful? To not complain? To love the Lord? What do you want from YOUR children? Go display this for them so they can see how it is you wish for them to be!
• Regularly "speak of His goodness. Show His readiness to forgive. Excite the gratitude of the child by speaking of the joys of heaven. Thus let the duties of religion ever be connected with feelings of enjoyment and images of happiness that the child may perceive that gloom and sorrow are connected only with disobedience..." and a lack of relationship with their Creator. There will be no tears in heaven. All sadness stems from sin.
• "Our children have more right to expect that we shall be model parents than we have to require that they shall be model children."
• When things aren't going right that is the time "in which to show loveliness and blessedness of confidence in God. A smile upon your countenance, a glance of confiding affection in your eye, a word of calm submission from your full heart, will then go to the hearts of your observing children, with great and effectual power. Words are air. They fall upon the ear and are forgotten. BUT WHO EVER FORGETS ABIDING, CONSISTENT, UNVARYING EXAMPLE? What child ever ceases to remember the daily life, of its father and mother?"
• "Parents should never, especially in the presence of their children, give way to feelings of irritation and anger. Even when a child does wrong there should be NO EXPRESSION OF RESENTMENT OR VEXATION IN OUR LOOKS OR IN OUR WORDS. We may act firmly on such occasions and reprove effectually, while yet we maintain throughout, the quiet, gentle, and peaceful spirit by which the conduct of the Christian ought at all times to be characterized."
• "Every mother ought to engage in the duties of religious instruction, with the confident expectation that God will accompany her exertions with His blessing." That is encouraging!