Mother Education

I had the immense pleasure of watching my 2nd Daughter and her new husband graduate from college this last weekend! I was so proud and so full of emotion. I couldn't help thinking about the little girl Darci had been. I thought about how hard of a 2 year old she was, I thought about how hard she worked on her studies all her life. I thought about all the tennis matches, young women's camps, piano recitals, band concerts, and other events that Darci was in. I remembered how shy she was, and how she has always been so soft spoken. It is wonderful to see your child grow-up...I always love seeing the progress and learning....And that got me thinking about how much learning I have attained since becoming a Mother.
I do not have a college degree, but feel I am very educated. I am an expert in the kitchen. I have not always been, but since becoming a Mother I have learned. Like so many of the things I have learned to do since becoming a Mother....most has come from necessity. I have had to learn how to manage money, shop smart, garage sale, mend clothes, and make cute birthday cakes all because we did not have a lot of money. I have learned to sew, crochet, cross stitch, toll paint and other crafty things so I could decorate my home. (I am terrible but I do know how to do them).
But even more than all the home management and homemaking things I have learned over the years, my children have given me the opportunity to learn so many other things.
Through a multitude of school projects, I know more than the average person about polar bears, raccoons, med-evil midwifery, black smithing, Egypt and many other things. Having my sons in Scouting has taught me A LOT about camping, cooking outdoors, and survival skills, not to mention all the merit badges that I have helped with.
The most enjoyable parts of my "education" has been what I have learned because I wanted to. I have had time to learn since I am home. I have been able to learn photography skills, I know so much about history and politics just from reading. I have learned how to garden, and from that how to properly preserve and store food. I know a multitude of finger plays, nursery rhymes and wonderful children's literature and music.
Due to the challenges all mothers face with their children I have had to learn many skills..from dog-traing,and simple home doctoring, to advocating for and knowing the law to help my learning disabled son.
From all the books, classes, and trial and error, I am an expert in Child Development and Child Rearing.
Being a Mother has stretched me much farther than any other "career" I could have chosen.
I hear too often that many Mothers who stay at home feel like their brains are turning into peanut butter. That they are bored and can't remember who they are. All I have to say to that type of thinking is, GO LEARN SOMETHING NEW!!! Don't be afraid of failure. Too many women won't try something for fear of failing, wasting materials, or lack of the skill. My advice is to just jump in with both feet!! I can't tell you how many times I have messed up before getting it right. I still mess up a recipe, picture or part of my garden every once in a while...but I always learn something from my mistakes. Don't give up.
We are on this earth to learn...and being a Mother is a fantastic way to go about it!