Your welcome, Mom

I realize that it is not easy to have good manners all the time. I do believe that it is important to practice. Can you imagine a world where everybody said please and thank you. Where everybody put said yes ma’am, no sir. Where kids listened to their elders. Where adults listened to the elders. It is a crazy thought to think of a world where that could happen. Some might say it’s impossible. I don’t think so.

I think it comes down to how we teach our children. If they aren’t taught then how will they ever know. As parents and guardians this is our charge. In fact it is quite simple.

Titus 2:4-8 states “..and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

It’s there in black and white. Manners. That verse speaks many things to me. But what jumps out is if we teach our children manners, and the love and grace of God. We should start to see these things in ourselves and our children.

It is possible. Let me share a story.

This morning I was trying to get my daughter who is 2 dressed. Any mom of toddlers knows that this is not always an easy feat. Sometimes this simple task can completely strip me of my patience. Today, I tried a new approach. I let her color, and simply held her clothes and waited for her to finish her drawing. Instead of rushing (why rush, we are just staying home anyway) I was patient. She got dressed in steps. First her shirt because it had minnie mouse on it. WE LOVE MINNIE MOUSE! She started coloring again. I waited. When she was done, I said “Olivia, we still need to put on our skirt”. “OK, mom” and she put her skirt on. I said “Thank you for listening” I was still in shock that it was that simple. Seriously? Did she just get dressed without a fight?! Then what I heard next simply amazed me. “Your welcome Mom”. Woah, did my 2 year old just get dressed with out a fight and then say your welcome??!?!

It made my morning. Those 3 little words. “Your welcome Mom” It melted my heart and made me realize that even on the hard days, and on the easy days. IT IS WORTH IT. It is working. All the hours of disciplining, and teaching. It is working. Slowly she is getting it. Love. Motherhood. Grace. All wrapped up in “your welcome MOM”