What Does it Mean to Be a Mother?

Self-Sacrifice

• A mother should be willing to sacrifice her desires to ensure that her child's needs are met. Not just physical needs such as food, clothing and shelter, but emotional needs as well. Motherhood involves listening to your child, spending quality time doing various activities with him, and being willing to address and answer any concerns and questions he may have. These ideas may sound obvious and even a bit elementary to some; however, many mothers lack this character trait and for whatever reason choose to chase after selfish endeavors. Ultimately, the child is left empty and will look to others to fulfill the emotional void in his life.

Unconditional Love

• Children are going to misbehave and make mistakes, no matter how "perfect" they may seem. The role of a mother is to show unconditional love and offer tenderness and affection. A mother who only shows love to her child when she is behaving as defined by her standards risks provoking her to anger, bitterness and maybe even rebellion. A mother can benefit by reflecting on her own childhood imperfections and mishaps, remembering how reassuring it felt to receive a tender touch, hug, warm smile and most important ... forgiveness.

Discipline and Training

• Discipline means training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. To be most effective with correcting wrong behavior, you must be consistent and firm. No child enjoys being disciplined at the time; however, this training (if executed properly) will carry over into other areas of your child's life. A mother's responsibility is to help shape and mold her child's character. Having good character and a sound moral compass will likely help a child avoid many troubles as he grows and matures in life.