Photo courtesy of Betty Jones
There are amazing, devoted, wonderful, deliberate mothers out there, and each week we’ll spotlight one of them here at The Power of Moms. Do you know a mom who deserves a little time in the spotlight? Email rachelle.price (at) powerofmoms.com. We can’t wait to meet her.
Introducing Betty Jones
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have three (wonderful) children: Ashley 11, Alex 9, and Sammy 5
What have been your favorite parts of motherhood?
There are many things I love about motherhood. My children make me HAPPY! I loved being a mom to them when they were little and my kisses made it all better; I love being a mom to them as they get ready to start school and are excited to make new friends and grow up! I love their hugs, their laugh, their interests and personalities. Having them strengthens me.
Another aspect of motherhood that I love is to see the people that my children are growing up to be. I never really thought about my children between babyhood and adulthood. So when my kids started leaving babyhood I was freaking out: How was I going to get through the next two decades without knowing how they were going to turn out? Would my kids grow up to be people I liked? Now that my kids are a little bit older, I love it when I see in them gratitude and kindness: if they grow up to be people who are grateful for their blessings and kind to themselves and their fellow beings, they will be the kind of people I love to have around!
What have been the hardest parts of motherhood for you?
I have had a very hard time learning that I CANNOT do everything. I cannot stay up until 3:00 AM doing something, then get up at 5:00 AM to get my husband ready for work, send my kids off to school, clean the house, take care of my youngest, and feel fresh and full of energy – I just can’t! I used to be able to pull all-nighters getting ready for finals, to take 20 credits a quarter, to work and go to school and through it all I managed to stay pretty sane – being a mom takes A LOT MORE ENERGY than all of the above activities combined. I am still learning to prioritize the really important things that I need to do in order to be happy and provide a happy environment for my family.
What coping strategies do you have for getting through hard times and hard days?
Mostly I pray, talk to my mothers, and other women I trust and admire, and read.
First, I pray to God, because I believe that my children were his children first, that he loves and knows them infinitely better than me, and he wants us all to be happy.
Second, I talk to others who either walked this path before or are going through it right now. I have the privilege of having two moms: my mom I was born to is a loving, selfless, wonderful woman. My mom who hosted me when I was an exchange student is no less of a wonderful person. Both of these women love me and my children and want the best for us. I value and respect their opinion so I always ask for their advice when I have parenting challenges.
Third, I read. There are many wonderful resources out there. Many people who have walked this path before, have put the time and effort to share what they learned and I am most grateful for that.
What would you say are the most important things a mom can do? What would you say are the most important things for a mom NOT to do?
Most important things a mom can do: LOVE THEM. I think that is the most important one. Close seconds are RESPECT, PROTECT, ACCEPT and TEACH them values and morals. Give them a strong foundation upon which they can build happy, successful lives.
I heard today a powerful quote today that unfortunately I cannot remember exactly; in essence it said that if you teach children how to work, they will develop the ability to serve.
Most important things NOT TO DO: humiliating them is an absolute no no. Failing to apologize to them when you have done or been wrong will make them not trust or respect you.
What are some unique and interesting aspects of your family or your approach to mothering?
I am from Venezuela and lived happily there until I was 25 years old, with the exception of the year I was an exchange student in Washington State. My husband is Caucasian white; he has lived in the US all his life except for two years that he served a mission for our church in Brazil. Because we both have lived in cultures different than our own, we had the opportunity to learn some very important lessons that we try to pass to our children. You have a better chance of being happy in a new environment if you come to it with an open mind and a willingness to learn. A positive attitude and an attitude of gratitude really come in handy when you are trying to make it in any new situation.
*** Click here to see more Spotlights. You can nominate moms to be spotlighted at The Power of Moms by emailing Rachelle Price, our Spotlight Manager at rachelle(dot)price(at)powerofmoms(dot)com.
