Wonderful article, as usual. My biggest concern is for me and my friends who have raised families--large ones of 6-10 children) and have had our lives turned upside down with decisions our children made while in our home and later as adults. Due to the abusive measures my former husband and I used to keep our children under the control we expected, some are full of resentment, have left the church completely, atheistic, distrustful of me and some of their siblings etc. Then porn-addiction and use of prostitutes over several years by my husband was finally discovered and we divorced. Although our children are highly successful, wonderful children and bonded well to each other, there is an undertone of judgment against me and of some distrust between the boys and the girls. It is hard for me and others with whom I have confided when our children are divided in their loyalty to us as their moms and among themselves as to who is "good" and who is "not good". How can one find peace and look back AND forward on our motherhood with joy when we have so many disappointments and challenges? Things are not the way we had hoped they would be at this time in our lives. We face these late challenges as single moms due to divorce or death of our husbands. It is heart-breaking a good deal of the time.
Janet G.November 21, 2014
Thank you, Brother Goddard, I always learn so much from you. Even though my seven children are wonderful adults now, I remember those days of exhaustion and frustration well. Being a mother of seven was the hardest thing I ever did, but it has been, and brought, the greatest blessings of my whole life. Each child has brought their own gifts into our family and continue to play their special role in it. I don''t know that I "flourished", but I grew into a better mother with the guidance of Father in Heaven, learning how to be patient and to listen to their pleas and needs. They have become loving brothers and sisters to each other, and caring aunts and uncles to their nieces and nephews. I am so grateful for each of them, and to people like you who taught me how to be a better mother.
KathrynNovember 21, 2014
I appreciate Dr. Wally's perspective on families and raising children.
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KasNovember 26, 2014
Wonderful article, as usual. My biggest concern is for me and my friends who have raised families--large ones of 6-10 children) and have had our lives turned upside down with decisions our children made while in our home and later as adults. Due to the abusive measures my former husband and I used to keep our children under the control we expected, some are full of resentment, have left the church completely, atheistic, distrustful of me and some of their siblings etc. Then porn-addiction and use of prostitutes over several years by my husband was finally discovered and we divorced. Although our children are highly successful, wonderful children and bonded well to each other, there is an undertone of judgment against me and of some distrust between the boys and the girls. It is hard for me and others with whom I have confided when our children are divided in their loyalty to us as their moms and among themselves as to who is "good" and who is "not good". How can one find peace and look back AND forward on our motherhood with joy when we have so many disappointments and challenges? Things are not the way we had hoped they would be at this time in our lives. We face these late challenges as single moms due to divorce or death of our husbands. It is heart-breaking a good deal of the time.
Janet G.November 21, 2014
Thank you, Brother Goddard, I always learn so much from you. Even though my seven children are wonderful adults now, I remember those days of exhaustion and frustration well. Being a mother of seven was the hardest thing I ever did, but it has been, and brought, the greatest blessings of my whole life. Each child has brought their own gifts into our family and continue to play their special role in it. I don''t know that I "flourished", but I grew into a better mother with the guidance of Father in Heaven, learning how to be patient and to listen to their pleas and needs. They have become loving brothers and sisters to each other, and caring aunts and uncles to their nieces and nephews. I am so grateful for each of them, and to people like you who taught me how to be a better mother.
KathrynNovember 21, 2014
I appreciate Dr. Wally's perspective on families and raising children.
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