Mothers Owe an Educated Love to Their ChildrenPestalozzi said that mothers were qualified by God Himself to be the greatest influence in their children’s early lives. The mother owes it to her child, and to God who entrusted her, to have a ‘thinking love.’ God gave children the same kind of hands, heart and mind as ours, and mothers must ask themselves, ‘How shall I train my child to use those gifts? For whose benefits shall those gifts be used?’ The answers to those questions may determine the future of her beloved child, whether his life is one of misery or happiness. A loving mother is the most important part of what a child will become. As mothers become more educated and read more, they will understand the importance of their task and feel like such a grand mission can’t be left to anyone but themselves. And mothers will take up their duty seriously,pg 3with the same care for detail and commitment they would give an outside, paying job. In order to understand more about her role in raising her children, mothers should have more than popular notions about educational theory and the underlying understanding of the nature of children that those theories rest on. “-CM VOL 1 pgs 2,3
(Modern Version) Here is link to the Original CM Text: http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/1_1.html

I have loved this quote from CM since the first time I read it. It just rang so true with me. A Mother’s role in their child’s life is so very important and I need to treat it as such. I need to be as dedicated to all parts of motherhood, to all parts of my children’s life as I am to anything and everything else. I believe the best way that I can give my children this “thinking love” is to first LOVE GOD with ALL my HEART, SOUl, MIND and STRENGTH. Basically I need to keep myself spiritually healthy. I need to also keep myself physically healthy (which I have not been doing that =o( . I need to pray, pray and pray for my children. I need to share the Lord and His word with them daily, I need to educate my spirit and my mind, I need to give them opportunities to learn, grow, explore and to fail. I need to be able to say Yes or No when it is right. I need to be able to answer their questions or help them find the answer, I need to put my whole heart, my whole being into the lives of my children just as Our Father in Heaven did for us. I not only need to do all this I want to do all this. My children are miracles to me true gifts from God. He has entrusted me with their care and I want to please Him. I want to do whatever I can to help my boys live out their adventure of living for the King of Kings!

Yes, my boys do deserve this “thinking Love” from me and by the Grace of God they will receive it!!

In Christ

(reposted from my own BLOG from Feb. 2008)