Mind for a Mop?

I have really enjoyed reading these two articles:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865587127/A-womans-education-is-not-wasted-in-the-home.html?pg=all

http://www.dennisprager.com/does-a-full-time-homemaker-swap-her-mind-for-a-mop/

I really enjoyed reading these articles, because this was a topic that I have thought a lot about as I have considered obtaining a Master's Degree. I agree with both articles. Having a full-time parent benefits the child. The more educated a woman is, the more beneficial that she can be to her child. She has so many skills and insights to pull from. I also really enjoyed reading that a mother should continue to stimulate her mind. She should read and study, keep current with the news. This helps her to progress and helps to benefit the children as well. I really liked reading this because I no longer feel "guilty" for wanting to pursue more school, because even if I do not become involved in the professional career, my knowledge and skills will benefit my future family.

Inspired Pattern of Counsel

In the post before, I mentioned that families always have and always will encounter crisis. The fact of the matter is, we each individually handle situations differently. Especially men and women. Because of these differences,  a lot of misunderstanding can be created. There is a way to solve this.

We must counsel together with our spouses. In our church, we are led by the Prophet, his counselors and the 12 Apostles. Under the direction of God, they lead His church. That is 15 people. 15 men who are all seeking the will of God. How do they do it? Each week they counsel together. The pattern they use in their counsels can be a pattern that each married couple should follow. It is inspired.

The Presidency of the Church

I felt that I should include some key components of this pattern of counseling. First, begin showing love and appreciation for one another. This will create an atmosphere of openness, and love. Second, the leaders of the church meet in a sacred place every Thursday, ( the temple). Find a place to counsel together, your home can be that sacred special place. Third, find a time each week to counsel with one another., Make it a priority, have an agenda of the things that and matters that you will discuss. My advice is to open and close with a prayer, to invite the Spirit's guidance. Lastly, end with a treat, or something! Make it an enjoyable experience for both of you.

As a missionary each week, we did something called Companionship Inventory each week. This was a time to discuss together. I found that it was a great way to understand my companion better, and to work together more efficiently. I know that this pattern of counseling is inspired and it will benefit the family greatly. 

Family Crisis

The car broke down, your Father is ill, you just learned that your child has a serious illness... Crisis. Trials, struggles. They come big and they come small. The fact of the matter is that all families will at some point face a crisis. There will always be stress, there will always be problems. To me through these struggles we must find purpose. We must work together as a family rather than fall apart.

My family has encountered many "trials" or times of crisis. Through these hard times we have found strength and purpose in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Above is a video that I feel depicts this perfectly. May we ever grow closer to God and to our families during the difficult times. 

Teaching Children about Intimacy

It seems like children are learning things earlier than ever before. For example, a 7 yr old family friend came home from school and asked, "Dad, what is sex? A boy at school said he wants to have sex with me?" What do we do? If we don't teach our children then someone will. It may be uncomfortable to approach these subjects, but it needs to be done. We must though keep it age appropriate for the individual child of course.

Below is a link of a section of a handbook that the church has created, called "A Parent's Guide" 

https://www.lds.org/manual/a-parents-guide/chapter-1-intimacy-and-the-purposes-of-earthly-families?lang=eng
Read here to gain more insight about teaching your children about these important matters.