By HEATHER HANSEN
As Mother's Day approaches, many of us stop to reflect on Mom -- the woman who nurtured and raised us. It is often through our mothers that many of us learn how to raise our own families.
Some advice given to Sister Marilyn Bateman by her mother was to marry someone who loved the gospel and who had the same values and goals. By doing so, both could work together in raising their children and becoming good parents.
For many BYU students, motherhood is a new beginning.
'Have faith in yourself,' Sister Bateman said. 'Relax a little bit. If you have faith that the Lord will help you, he will.'
In establishing a good relationship with children, a mother should enjoy, value and take time for her children, said Shirley Klein, an associate professor in the Family Science Department.
'In raising children one should learn to listen -- they usually tell you what they want,' said recent BYU graduate Sandra Tayler.
'Take the time to play with your children. Take trips and read to them,' said part-time family science instructor Dianne Smith.
The main idea in establishing a good relationship with one's children is to create a parallel activity -- doing two things at once such as eating or working is a way to foster strong relationships, Klein said.
Disciplining, however, is often a dilemma for young mothers. Although there are times when children try their mothers' patience to the point of exasperation, kindness and positive communication effective ways to discipline.
'Put the gospel in action. In dealing with discipline problems, mothers need to deal in kindness and remember that children need to be taught. Authoritative discipline teaches children what to do through reasoning,' Klein said.