On Learning How to Be a Parent

Chris was seven years old when she thought:

Life HAS to be better than this.

There was no fun, connection, love, caring, sense of family in her home growing up.  Indifference, negativity, non-caring were the feelings she felt most often.

Jean was 16 when her mother told her it would be best for everyone if she moved out.   Jean was working, going to school, and getting very poor grades.  But, she was not rebellious or wild; her mother just felt she wasn't contributing to the work load, so told her to move out....obviously, her mother was with dealing emotions and problems of her own.

Dianne's home growing up was filled with anger, bitterness, resentment, much of it aimed at the church.  She yearned for a male role model to fill her yearning for love.

I know all of these women.

They had very tough growing-up years.  Their lives were in turmoil.

And, yet, today, each is raising marvelous, wonderful, good children.

Each is rooted in the Gospel of Christ and each is married to a wonderful Priesthood holder.

Each one has made a conscious decision to make her current home different from the one in which she grew up.

And, each one is succeeding.

None of the three had a good role model to follow in being a nurturing, caring parent.

So, then, where did these women acquire these SKILLS?

Each one had a mentor, a family friend, a relative who helped them navigate their lives......AND each has a husband who is committed also to being a good parent.

So, the truth is obvious.....many of us parent the way we were parented - whether good or bad, BUT, we can break the cycle of bad parenting.

It is hard work, according to each of these women; it takes effort, prayer, dedication and a reminder that they want better for their own families than what they had.

And, seeing them in action as I do,

THEY ARE DOING IT and making it work.

They are totally learning how to be a

FANTASTIC PARENT....even though they did not see those skills exhibited in their homes.

AND, they inspire me on a constant basis.

Parenting is always a challenge, but here are three women who are LEARNING how to be a GREAT parent.  And, it is a beautiful thing to watch.