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 Jennifer Lund
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have five, almost six children: Natalie (10), Amy (8½), Adam (7), Andrew (5), Tyler (2), and a baby due April 7th!
What have been your favorite parts of motherhood?
Teaching my children–mainly about our religion, and also academics, and coaching them in their instruments. Teaching creatively is a real passion of mine. I love to find ways (often hands-on and visual) to teach my children. It makes the teaching and learning much more exciting and enjoyable.
What have been the hardest parts of motherhood for you?
Potty training is my most dreaded job in motherhood. I wish I could send the kids off to boot camp and have them return completely trained.
On a more daily basis, patience is a challenge, particularly when dealing with disobedience, mischief, or a child who does not want to practice.
What has surprised you about motherhood?
That I can adapt and grow and learn with each new challenge. I remember conquering the ability to shop with a baby, then with two, three and four kids. I had those incidences where I proclaimed, “I am never taking them out again!” but always did.
I have also been surprised by how much I have grown in my role as a mother. It isn’t only sacrifice; there is so much personal growth involved. I have learned that I am blessed by magnifying my role as a mother.
What have you learned from motherhood? Please share a specific story or incident that really taught you something.
I am surprised by how much I have learned! College helped me learn how to learn, and since then, my knowledge and skills in many different areas have grown immensely. As my children have grown, I have been learning how to teach them academics, music, our religion, and household skills.
In music, for example, I only play the piano on an intermediate level, but I have learned how to coach my children in both violin and cello because I attended their lessons for the first 2-3 years each, took notes, and practiced with them daily. (My two oldest now practice and attend lessons on their own.) Now I know all sorts of things about violin and cello technique, even though I don’t play either.
What coping strategies do you have for getting through hard times and hard days?
Prayer, reading scriptures, and a good night’s sleep. When I feel stressed or troubled (often at the end of the day), much of it is erased or alleviated after a good night’s sleep. During the day, if I’m having a hard time, I have to take a step back and breathe so I can temporarily remove myself from a tough situation.
What would you say are the most important things a mom can do?
I believe in aiming high, but not expecting perfection. If I try my hardest at something and know I tried my best, then I can feel good about it whether or not it was perfect. I try to learn from what went wrong and make improvements the next time.
What would you say are the most important things for a mom NOT to do?
I think it’s important to not try to do everything all at once. If I have an important event or project (like Easter week or a special project), then I have to let something else slide temporarily (like a perfectly clean house) in order to accomplish the most important things. In my book, it’s okay to let go of some less important to-do items in the short term. Allowing the dishes to wait a little longer in order to sit down and read books or play with a child is worth it.
What are some unique and interesting aspects of your family or your approach to mothering?
I believe that great efforts with young children truly pay off. Helping young children learn discipline makes the toddler years and beyond much easier. For example, we spend a lot of energy while our kids are 1-2 years old helping them learn to behave in church. Because of those efforts, we are able to enjoy church much more with a bench of well-behaved children.
I believe that all mothers who try their hardest to raise their children with love have a powerful influence on their children’s lives.