 A
Note From Mary
 With
April Fool’s Day just a couple of weeks away, I thought
it would be good to focus on the value of taking our mothering
seriously, but ourselves lightly. There were too many
times when my children were young that I should have lightened
up, but because I took my job as a mother seriously, I
wasn’t able to.
Henry
Ward Beecher, a clergyman, said, “A person without a sense
of humor is like a wagon without springs—jolted by every
pebble in the road.” If this is true, and I believe
it is, mothers without a sense of humor are in for a rough
ride simply because there are a lot of bumps on the mothering
path. Humor serves as a shock absorber, making our ride
smoother as we journey with our children until the time
when they’ll be on their own.
While
working to lighten up ourselves, we need to teach our
children the value of fun and humor. Kids who are able
to laugh at themselves are resilient and more likely to
be liked by other children. If you need to help your kids
lighten up too, try these suggestions from The Mother
Load:
•
Treat yourself to a humorous page-a-day calendar.
If nothing else, you’ll increase the chance of smiling
at least once a day as you turn the calendar to the current
date.
•
Use food coloring. Food coloring is cheap fun.
Kids love green milk and squeal at blue pancakes.
•
Go to the library and leaf through Chase’s Calendar
of Events, a day-by-day directory of special days,
weeks and months. You’ll get plenty of ideas for
things you can do to lighten the mood at your house. How
about observing “Act Happy Day” on March 15 or “Eat What
You Want Day” on May 11? November is “National Fun with
Fondue Month.”
By
using the ideas above, you’ll be able to model a light
heart and a sense of humor for your children.
Proverbs
17:22
reminds us that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”
When you least feel like laughing is the time you need
to laugh most. Remember that the next time your child
spills his milk or throws food on the floor…
Strengthening families by encouraging moms,
Mary Byers
P.S.
If
you have a mom friend who would be encouraged by this
e-mail, would you kindly forward it to her? Thanks!
Thank You
Thanks
to those of you who came to Family Christian or Barnes
and Noble last month for book signings. It was great to
meet you and your children and to get to talk with you.
And special thanks to those of you who brought a contribution
for MERCY Communities to help ease another mother’s load.
MERCY Communities provides transitional housing and assistance
for moms and their children and I was thrilled to be able
to share your donations with this organization.
Sanity
Saver:
Look
ahead on your calendar in order to identify “helping spots”—times
when you know you’ll need the help of your spouse or a
friend or family member due to scheduling conflicts. Mothering
anxiety is often caused by waiting until the last minute
to find the help you need. Planning ahead will help you
minimize stress.
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