Insightful- Mentor Mom Panel

Mentor Mom Panel

Written by Lauren Ruiz

Motherhood is filled with different seasons as our children develop and hit various milestones. Just as our children grow, we grow as mothers, too. Our Mentor Mom panel, women that have been through our current season, gave insight and wisdom this past week. Who better to encourage and advise us? 

In Titus 2, Paul says that older women are to teach younger women to love their husbands and children so that the word of God may not be reviled. Mentors are called give counsel to women, like us, so we may love our families with practical tools and they also provide bottomless encouragement. (Just like bottomless fries, who can say no to that?)

It is said that hindsight is 20/20. One of the first questions asked referred to looking back and speaking about things they were glad they did and what was most memorable for their family. Here are some of their answers:

·     Starting new and old traditions as a family

·     There is always a reason for celebration, so you can make a big deal out of the little things 

·     Build memories. Their adult children remember the time spent together more than anything else.

·     Leave love notes. It takes minutes to do and your kids and husband have something tangible that expresses your love for them.

·     Be humble and ask for forgiveness from your children when you believe you have done wrong.

·     Eat dinner together.

Then, we got into the nitty-gritty: discipline. Our Mentor Mom, Linda, gave us the 4 C’s: Choice, Consequence, Consistency, and Confession. When she was speaking, I couldn’t help but think about the positive parenting/teaching technique, Love & Logic. In its simplicity, every choice has a consequence. The consequence could be good or bad in the eyes of the child, but there is always a consequence. The kicker was when she said that those consequences are irrelevant if we, as parents, do not execute consistency. 

Moving on, we discussed the topic of marriage. Life is busy with kids but God calls us to place our marriage above all else, after our relationship with God himself. I don’t know about y’all, but winks across the toy-filled living room are as intimate as some nights get and conversations are held with babies on hips or a kid asking for his tenth snack of the day.

The Mentor Moms gave us practical advice to spend time with our husbands, as well as encouragement to always persevere in our marriages. Here are some of their tips:

·     You need time without the kids, physically and mentally. I know I’m guilty of going to dinner, only to start talking about the upcoming week’s schedule of extra-curricular activities, doctor appointments, and discipline woes. 

·     Trade date nights! Seek another family that you can trade date nights with. One family takes all the kids, and the other couple gets to go out for a date. Then switch the following week.

·     You and your husband need individual time, too. Carving out time to reboot as individuals is important.

·     Remember that you and your husband are in this together. 

Families are God’s work. Marriage is God’s design. Satan’s goal is to destroy what God created and lead us away from Him. When the Mentor panel was asked, “How did you face your hardest trials?” God was the unanimous answer. 

In times of adversity, when God gives you more than you can handle, he calls you to walk beside him. Lean in. Hang on. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.”

How awesome is that promise? God can be glorified in your story and in our families.