By Dionna Sanchez of www.EmphasisOnMoms.com

I take my job as a mom very seriously. I know that the environment I create for my children will largely help shape who they will be one day.  I realize that how I act and handle situations in my own life, will be reflected somewhat in how they too, choose to handle situations.

I could let the weight of my responsibility in molding my children’s hearts overwhelm me.  Or, I could just enjoy the role I play in their lives and use common sense to help direct my kids on the right path.

In my home, I want to teach my children to laugh and enjoy life.  So having “fun” plays a big part in our family times together.  But I also want to help build my children into adults that are responsible, compassionate, understanding, confident, giving, and who use self-control.

I encourage community giving and involvement in their lives so that they will learn to be thankful for what they have and for who they are.

I enforce guidelines on picking up their things and maintaining a clean room as well as giving them chores or projects to do so that they can develop a sense of responsibility. 

I say “no” in allowing them to have trendy items or fashions if I feel that those things aren’t a good influence on them.

I limit their intake of violence, swearing, and sexual content in the media so that fear doesn’t rule their lives and that harmful content doesn’t permeate into their character.

And at times, I let them deal with disappointments in life instead of shielding them from them.  I want my children to learn how to handle their own emotions and the inner strength and joy that can be gained from the highs and lows in life.

I want to teach my children about integrity and trust by first modeling it to them myself.
I want them to know what “true friendship” means. Yet at the same time, I know there will be occasions where I will need to risk momentarily being hated by them in order to do what is right on their behalf and to enforce the rules. I know that my job as a parent means that I need to set boundaries for my children instead of just always being their “friend” or “buddy.”

It takes a little effort initially to implement changes in your home and life in order to grow well-rounded (and grounded) children.  But in the long run – those efforts become second nature to everyone and become simply a way of life; a way of “being.”
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis once said, “If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think anything else you do well matters very much.”

Time will only tell how well I’m raising my children.  But I’m doing my best to stay on the right track and I hope some day, my grown children will thank me for it.

Dionna lives in Idaho with her husband Eliseo.  She is mom to two precious girls, a stepmom, and a mother-in-law.  Ever since Dionna was a little girl, she has always felt called to encourage and inspire others to action. Along with her love of writing, she is dedicated to her local church, has a growing interest in missions and photography, and loves a good shopping deal.  Click here to read her blog on PreciousMoms.com