For the Mothers

I recently read an article for class about stay at home moms. It argued that even though moms have the stereotypical role of doing house work, there are also many opportunities in which they are able to do other tasks which enhance their learning. For years moms have been stereotyped as women who clean the kitchen, make dinner, do the laundry, iron clothes, pick up the kids, and clean up after everyone. This is what most mothers do but it doesn't mean that they don't have any other important roles.

Mothers have the role of teaching their children. As moms teach they can learn. As the kids grow older they will come home from school with more challenging questions. This gives moms the chance to research the question and learn about the topic themselves before teaching.

In most communities there are additional opportunities for mothers to continue in learning. For example, volunteer work, online classes, book clubs, etc. No only can you learn so much from these things but they are fun too! In addition, I'm sure there are many resources for moms to find a good book to read or watch an intelligent t.v. show or movie. Stay at home moms may spend a lot of time at home but that doesn't mean that all they are doing is house work.

So, here's to my mom, the most intelligent woman I know. She taught me everything I know now and for that I will always be grateful.

My mom. :)

LOVE

In class we have been discussing love, *sigh,*one of my favorite topics. I have always been a hopeless romantic and reading these past few chapters in our textbook has really opened my mind further to reality. I just like the idea of love and I look forward to being married! I can't wait to have a man in my life that will hug me often, make dinner for me sometimes, hold my hand when we walk somewhere, and say "I love you" a lot. Sounds like a love song right? Well, it's true. I look forward to all of this and I always have. Marriage is the one thing that I have dreamed about and I can't wait to marry "the man of my dreams" in the temple one day.

It is probably no surprise to you that I have a "Husband Qualities List." I have been adding to it every once in a while because it is important to me. Unfortunately, the perfect man for me isn't out there. There is no such thing is a perfect man but there is nothing wrong with having high standards. However, there is a difference between high standards and having unrealistic qualities. I'm sure a lot of the things on my list probably won't be true about my future husband. But like I said having standards is important.

In class we discussed four different types of love: Storge, Philia, Eros, and Agape.
Storge: Is the type of love between a parent and a child. It refers to commitment, emotion, responsibility, and connection.
Philia: Is the love we have between friends, like a brotherly love.
Eros: Is physical love--lustful, sexual, and romantic.
Agape: Is more like charitable love.

Going through all of these types of love has made me realize that a marriage really should include all of  these types not just one (like Eros). I think most people think that love is all about the intimacy but it is much more than that. I am grateful to be able to learn more about marriage so I can be more prepared when my time comes to be sealed for time and all eternity. 

Moving

This week we read an article about families in Mexico whose lives had been changed because of moving to the United States. It was very interesting to see how it affected the parents and the children. In some situations the father of the family will go to the United States first to make money to provide for his family in hopes that they will soon join him. When this happens the mother has to take over as the "head" of the house or even the next oldest man in the household. This can change the whole dynamics of a family. When the family eventually moves to the U.S. it is hard for them to adjust to having their dad back in their lives. Not only is that difficult but they also have to adjust to a new lifestyle; living in a country that is completely different from their own. The circumstances are not the same for every family but in most families it is a tough situation to be in. 

After learning about this I thought about how moving to another state affected me. I was born and raised in Athens, Ohio but, when I graduated from high school my parents moved to Provo, Utah. When I came "home" for the holidays it was just not the same for me. I didn't know anyone in the ward and I just wanted to be in my true home in Ohio. Even though this was not as big of a change as it was for many families moving to the U.S., it was still a hard adjustment for me.

This is a picture of my neighborhood in Ohio in the Fall. :)

Intro

Hey everyone! I'm Hannah and I am attending Brigham Young University-Idaho. My major is Marriage and Family Studies and I am minoring in music. I am number 5 of 7 kids in my family. I grew up in Athens, Ohio and attended Athens High School. My two favorite things are singing and ice cream! In this blog I will be discussing meaningful facts or ideas about families. I am really excited to learn more about families and how I can improve the relationships I have with my family members now. Also, I know that what I learn now will benefit me when I start my own family.