If I Were a Perfect Mom
If I were a perfect mom, I would always remember to teach and remind my children to...
say their morning and evening prayers, brush their teeth after every meal, floss every day, wash their hands when they come inside, after using the bathroom, and before meals, wear their helmets every time they ride a bike, do their homework, clean up after themselves, do their chores, clear their places from the table, say please, say thank you, send thank you cards, wear sunscreen, change their socks and underwear, read their scriptures, be kind to each other, obey their parents, help without being asked, open doors for other people, make their beds, clean their rooms, practice a musical instrument, practice their addition and subtraction facts and times tables, of fruits and vegetables, dress appropriately for the weather, chew their food thoroughly before swallowing, wear their seat belts, get plenty of exercise, drink their milk, get plenty of sleep, cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough, change their sheets, use tissues when their noses run, sit up straight, trim their finger and toe nails, resolve disputes calmly, use inside voices inside, read, wipe their feet before coming indoors, keep the refrigerator door closed, brush or comb their hai review their spelling words before the test, bring their scriptures to church, turn off the lights when they leave an unoccupied room, wash behind their ears and the back of their necks, drink plenty of water, eat lotsr daily, wash their faces, and I'm sure there is much more....
If I were a perfect mom, I would...
take my children to the dentist every six months, take my children to the doctor for yearly checkups, throw fun and original birthday parties for my children, volunteer at each child's school, plan and prepare a variety of well balanced meals every day, spend quality time with each child individually every day, know each of my children's friends, mend or replace my children's clothes as soon as they started to show wear, and never, ever allow my children to wear clothes that were ragged, torn or holey, always know where my children are and what they are doing, sign my children up for music lessons, sports, and/or other activities, always remember to bring my camera and use it, show a perfect example of how to live, read to my children every day, keep my children's clothes washed, ironed, and neatly folded until they were ready to be worn, start saving money for college funds from birth, love their father dearly, know exactly what each child wanted for Christmas or birthdays, limit the time my children spent watching TV, movies, or on the computer, have a snack ready and waiting when my children come home from school, help my children with their homework, keep scrapbooks so my children could see how they grew and remember the special moments in their lives, and again I'm sure there is much more I should be doing...
If I were a perfect mom, I would never...
raise my voice in anger, spank, slap or hit, forget a school performance or other special occasion, be sarcastic or otherwise unkind to my children, embarrass my children in public or private, allow a child to believe I didn't have time for him/her, let my children watch an inappropriate movie or read an inappropriate book, nag or criticize my children, leave my children with insufficient supervision, cause one of my children to feel unloved or unappreciated. and one more time, this list continues...
Unfortunately, I am not perfect. Therefore, my children will have to settle for the best I can do, and try to turn out the best that they can with the mother they have. May they do better someday when they have their own children.
say their morning and evening prayers, brush their teeth after every meal, floss every day, wash their hands when they come inside, after using the bathroom, and before meals, wear their helmets every time they ride a bike, do their homework, clean up after themselves, do their chores, clear their places from the table, say please, say thank you, send thank you cards, wear sunscreen, change their socks and underwear, read their scriptures, be kind to each other, obey their parents, help without being asked, open doors for other people, make their beds, clean their rooms, practice a musical instrument, practice their addition and subtraction facts and times tables, of fruits and vegetables, dress appropriately for the weather, chew their food thoroughly before swallowing, wear their seat belts, get plenty of exercise, drink their milk, get plenty of sleep, cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough, change their sheets, use tissues when their noses run, sit up straight, trim their finger and toe nails, resolve disputes calmly, use inside voices inside, read, wipe their feet before coming indoors, keep the refrigerator door closed, brush or comb their hai review their spelling words before the test, bring their scriptures to church, turn off the lights when they leave an unoccupied room, wash behind their ears and the back of their necks, drink plenty of water, eat lotsr daily, wash their faces, and I'm sure there is much more....
If I were a perfect mom, I would...
take my children to the dentist every six months, take my children to the doctor for yearly checkups, throw fun and original birthday parties for my children, volunteer at each child's school, plan and prepare a variety of well balanced meals every day, spend quality time with each child individually every day, know each of my children's friends, mend or replace my children's clothes as soon as they started to show wear, and never, ever allow my children to wear clothes that were ragged, torn or holey, always know where my children are and what they are doing, sign my children up for music lessons, sports, and/or other activities, always remember to bring my camera and use it, show a perfect example of how to live, read to my children every day, keep my children's clothes washed, ironed, and neatly folded until they were ready to be worn, start saving money for college funds from birth, love their father dearly, know exactly what each child wanted for Christmas or birthdays, limit the time my children spent watching TV, movies, or on the computer, have a snack ready and waiting when my children come home from school, help my children with their homework, keep scrapbooks so my children could see how they grew and remember the special moments in their lives, and again I'm sure there is much more I should be doing...
If I were a perfect mom, I would never...
raise my voice in anger, spank, slap or hit, forget a school performance or other special occasion, be sarcastic or otherwise unkind to my children, embarrass my children in public or private, allow a child to believe I didn't have time for him/her, let my children watch an inappropriate movie or read an inappropriate book, nag or criticize my children, leave my children with insufficient supervision, cause one of my children to feel unloved or unappreciated. and one more time, this list continues...
Unfortunately, I am not perfect. Therefore, my children will have to settle for the best I can do, and try to turn out the best that they can with the mother they have. May they do better someday when they have their own children.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote here. I'm just very, very grateful that all of my children turned out as well as you, in spite of my imperfections. :)
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