By ANGIE EARP
Mother’s Day has always been a day to remember mothers, show them that they are loved, and for women, it is a day to remember everything their mothers taught them about being a mom. Each mother teaches her daughter something different about life, and how to be a good mother themselves.
Julie Dey, of Highland, said her mother “always loved me and always took care of me. She taught me how to nurture.” Dey said she has been able to do the same thing with her family because of her mother’s lessons. She has a son who is two and is expecting another baby any day.
Mothers also teach their children responsibility. Doris Johnson, of American Fork, said she is very appreciative her mother taught her responsibility. She said she has been able to pass the lessons to her five children.
“It’s always been very important to me that my children be independent and know the value of work.” Johnson said several times her childrens’ teachers would tell her that the Johnson’s value of work was apparent in the way their children worked at school.
Johnson has a 16-year-old daughter and said the most important thing she can teach her daughter about being a mom is to communicate.
“One of the most important things about being a parent is to make sure there is an open line of communication from the time they are little. If parents make their children feel comfortable talking to them when they are young, the children will be more receptive to talking with their parents when they get older.”
Shari Nielsen, a junior from Rohnert Park, Calif., majoring in elementary education said the most important thing her mother taught her was how to be friendly. Nielsen has been married for nine months and does not have any children, but anticipates having children in the future.
“My mom taught me that there will be times when I don’t like my children even though I still love them. I’ll just have to endure the trials and pray my way through them,” said Nielsen. She also said one of the most important things a parent can do for a child is to become his best friend.
May Scott, of Lehi, has five children and 23 grandchildren. She said the most important thing she could teach her children was to always be kind.
“I never let my kids fight with each other,” she said, laughing. “I told them whenever they did something wrong to each other to fix it.”
Scott said her mother taught her how to cook, clean and sew. “Those are important things for women who are going to be mothers.”
One of the things Scott feels is important in raising a family is family home evening. “It doesn’t even have to be an organized family home evening, but a meeting where you talk and discuss what needs to be done. That’s a big part of raising kids,” Scott said.
Scott feels showing children support is also important. “We always tried to support our kids in whatever they did. If they had a swim meet, or a football game or a play, we were there to let them know that we were interested in what they were doing.”
Each mother has a different opinion about what is the most important thing to teach her children. Mother’s Day is the perfect day to show appreciation for everything that mothers do for their children.
