The Family Project

Chapter 10: Parenting with love, limits, and latitude: Proclamation principles and supportive scholarship by  Craig H Hart, Lloyd D Newell, and Julie H Haupt This chapter shared great information on the styles of parenting. I especially loved some of the quotes from past prophets of the church: "Parents should never drive their children, but lead them along, giving them knowledge as their minds are prepared to receive it. Chastening may be necessary betimes, but parents should govern their children by faith rather than by the rod, leading them kindly by good example into all truth and holiness."                                                                                                                     ~Brigham Young “I will here say to parents, that kind words and loving actions toward children will subdue their uneducated nature a great deal better than the rod, or, in other words, than physical punishment.”                                     

For this post, I will include a link at the bottom for you to access the video by John Latham on parenting and coercion.  But first, here are my notes from the video: Latham’s “Measure of a Good Parent” Good parents teach their children the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes the broad Christian messages of honesty, decency, kindness, love of God and fellowman, and so on. Good parents are living examples to their children of the principles and teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Good parents create within their homes a safe, positive, happy, noncoercive, nonabusive environment that is under parental control, where the consequences for apropriate and inappropriate behavior are well understood by all and are consistently and lovingly applied. Good parents allow their children to exercise their moral agency, then calmly and patiently let consequences do the teaching. Good parents never give up

Chapters 12 & 13: Mothers as Nurturers  by Jenet J Erickson and Honor Thy Father: Key principles and practices in fathering by Sean E. Brotherson. 1978 Spencer W Kimball said: “To be a righteous woman is a glorious thing in any age. To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling . The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times (p. 103).” This chapter talks about a Wintu tribe and how they reference mother according to Dorothy Lee, an anthropologist. Each child will reference the mother as ‘she who I made into mother’ because with each child born a new mother is created.  It is not simply a repetition of the same event.  There is a newness to the mother that comes into being with each child. In summary, research findings have supported the truth that a mother’s loving, attentive relationship with each child becomes the found

This post covers Chapter 14 Modern Fertility Patterns and God’s commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth by E Heffrey Hill, Sarah June Carroll, Kaylene J Fellows. Total Fertility rate (TFR): average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime. This will dip below replacement levels around 2045. Countries with highest fertility rates are poorest and least educated countries with the highest mortality rates and infant deaths with least access to health care. Reasons fertility rates are decreasing 1. Decreasing economic value of children 2. Fear of overpopulation 3. Governmental pressure 4. More are choosing to remain childless 5. Widespread contraceptive use and 40 million abortion  per year Potential consequences of low fertility rate 1. Depopulation 2. Aging: average age of population is increasing at an unprecedented rate.  It is pervasive and enduring, meaning it covers all populations and will not return to young populations in the future. Po

There were two talks included in our study for this week, and I loved them.  They really taught me a lot and I wish I had seen these before becoming a parent.   First is the talk found on youtube by W. Cleon Skousen. It discusses some beautiful examples of how the Lord answers and guides us.  I really loved how it reminded me of the  times where I knew from the Lord that things would work out, even though I had no idea how, I just knew it would be alright. Don't worry!  It's less than ten minutes and you will love it, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtwpPT1QQQE The second one is actually an article you can find on Churchofjesuschrist.org from August 2007: Crossing Thresholds and Becoming Equal Partners by Elder Bruce C. Hafen  Of the Seventy  and Marie K. Hafen https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2007/08/crossing-thresholds-and-becoming-equal-partners?lang=eng

Chapter 5: Marital sexuality and fertility James M Harper and Leslie Feinauer This chapter starts out with an example of a conversation between a teen and her mom. 13-year-old:   " Mom, is sex better than candy?" Mom: "Oh yes, dear, with your husband in an eternal marriage, sex is far better than candy." She establishes the parameters of a healthy and enjoyable sexual relationship with that answer, of being best in an eternal union between husband and wife. Marital sexuality serves a purpose: Becoming one           * Symbolizes the tie between God and his creations           * S ex is considered the most holy of human endeavors in Judaism           *  Elder Holland said that sexual union is a welding physical blending, symbol of total union   2.  Connection with God      * Sexual union between husband and wife is considered a sacrament   3.  Strengthening bonds            *  Emotional and spiritual bonds are both streng