Good Mothers Never Yell (And Other Myths)

GOOD MOTHERS NEVER YELL (AND OTHER MYTHS)

INTRODUCTION

A. WONDERFUL OCCASION – MOTHER’S DAY

1. Is Scriptural: Exodus 20:12; “Honor your father AND YOUR MOTHER, that your days may be long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

2. Rom. 13:7; “Give honor to whom honor is due…”

B. HUMOR: Mom’s Dictionary (unique perspective on life)

1. AIRPLANE: What Mom impersonates to get a 1-yr.-old to eat peas.

2. ALIEN: What Mom would suspect had invaded her house if she spotted a child-sized creature cleaning up after itself.

3. BECAUSE: Mom's reason for having kids do things which can't be explained logically.

4. CAR POOL: Complicated system of transportation where Mom always winds up going the furthest with the biggest bunch of kids who have had the most sugar.

5. EAT: What kids do between meals, but not at them.

6. GENIUSES: Amazingly, all of Mom's kids.

7. HANDI-WIPES: Pants, shirt-sleeves, drapes, etc.

8. HINDSIGHT: What Mom sees when she changes too many diapers.

9. JACKPOT: When all the kids stay at friends' homes for the night.

10. KISS: Mom medicine.

11. PENITENTIARY: Where children who don’t eat their vegetables or clean their rooms eventually end up, according to mom.

12. QUIET: What a home has before the first child is born and after the last child has left for college.

13. SCREAMING: Home Public Address system.

14. SPIT: All-purpose cleaning fluid especially good on kid’s faces.

15. SPOILED ROTTEN: What the kids become after as little as 15 minutes with Grandma.

16. WHEN YOUR FATHER GETS HOME: Standard measurement of time between crime and punishment.

C. VIDEO “A World Without Moms”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6s36W1Ngk

D. MEANING BEHIND TITLE

1. There is a mythology afoot today which has caused mothers to set standards for themselves so high that no real, normal human mother could ever reach it!

a. PREVAILING THEORY OF PSYCHOLOGY, “If a person is messed up in any way, it’s because of faulty parental influence.” Thus, if your children turn out well, you’re a “good mom.” If not, you’ve done something wrong.

b. AMERICAN HUSBAND EXPECTATIONS: Modern mothers are expected to Wash the clothes, Clean the House, wipe the noses, cook the meals, taxi everyone everywhere, figure the bills and taxes – AND, DO ALL THAT AFTER WORKING ALL DAY ON THE JOB!

2. Christian Moms are also supposed to be the epitome of Virtue and produce perfect kids who all turn out to be spiritual giants! This can lead to a lot of…

E. UNNECESSARY GUILT: See article, “Study Shows Moms Feel Their Mom Was Better Parent.”

1. In the article, Saundra Watson, an accounting manager, says, “We’re doing a worse job than our mothers did.”

2. 56% of the women surveyed think their mothers were better parents than they are.

3. Pressures cited by mothers: include trying to be in three places at once, making sure they get everything done without being stressed out, and that disciplining children is a problem that all mothers face.

4. The title of this message is “Good Mothers Never Yell (and other myths). We’re going to look at THREE MYTHS OF MOTHERHOOD. The first myth is…

I. MOTHERING IS EASY

A. HARDEST JOB ON EARTH

1. Because there are so many mothers, you might assume that it’s easy, but being a good wife or mother is the most demanding job in the world.

2. If you’re looking for the easy life, try…

a. Teaching tennis,

b. Cutting diamonds

c. Joining a roller-derby team – but NOT mothering!

B. ILLUSTRATION

1. During the French Revolution, some soldiers came upon a starving woman and her two children hiding in the woods.

2. Out of compassion, the sergeant gave her a loaf of bread. The woman took it, broke it into two pieces and gave one piece to each of her two children.

3. The sergeant noted, “She has kept none of it for herself.” A soldier asked, Is it because she is not hungry?” The sergeant answered, “No, it is because she is a mother!”

C. MOTHER’S INFLUENCE

1. Who was greater, Thomas A. Edison or his mother? When he was a boy his teacher sent him home with a note which said, 'Your child is dumb. We can't do anything for him.'

2. Mrs. Edison wrote back, 'You do not understand my boy. I will teach him myself'. And she did, with results that are well known. [Morning Glory, January 8, 1994]

3. Paul told of the godly influence that made Timothy a key figure in the early church. “To Timothy, my dear son….I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” 2 Tim. 1:2,5.

4. Mothers, you have more power than you know. It’s mothers who shape the leaders of the next generation. May it be Christian mothers who do the best job and turn out those who will influence the next generation!