For All You Mothers

It is not new news that Satan's mighty forces have been attacking women for decades. For years now he has used the media to tell women of all ages that they just aren't good enough. He is very good at sending this message: the message of

"you aren't pretty enough"

"you are too fat"

"you are too skinny"

"your worth is based on your looks"

"your worth is based on the money in your wallet"

"all that matters, is what other people think of you"

So we get it. We are supposed to look like airbrushed super models. Quite pathetic and, well, ridiculous if you ask me. Also, not happening.

The point is, all this time I have thought that this was an attack on the individual. This is an attack on women.This only affects us. This is something only we have to deal with (those lucky boys...right?)

Tonight I attended the seventh Annual Marjorie Pay Hinckley Lecture. Professors come from all over the nation to discuss topics in the Social Sciences. Dr. Ross A. Thompson gave tonight's lecture and gave me information that I thought was very enlightening.

He brought up a very interesting article in the New York Times titled "Can Preschoolers Be Depressed?"

According to Dr. Thompson, researchers twenty five years ago would have replied an immediate "No" to this question. Why? Simply because the child is not mature enough to understand or feel these emotions.

Well, lucky for us, recent experiments actually give us results that are the complete opposite. Researchers have now learned that even infants can experience depression. When and why are we seeing depression in not only toddlers but also babies? His answer- The epidemic of postpartum and clinical depression of the children's mothers.

Satan has not just been attacking women. His target reaches much farther than that. 

Dr. Thompson described experiments that were done on babies that were 6 months old, a year, and 18 months. At 6 months, they found that a baby looking at a smiling adult made them feel relaxed, settled. An angry face on an adult made them feel stressed, actual physical changes inside their body occurred. At a year, the child is aware that emotions are about something. They are in response to events, people, and things. And at 18 months, the child is much more attentive than we had ever realized.

In essence, researchers are learning that children can experience severe emotional stress at a very early age. Evidence of this is portrayed in this video.

Don't worry...there is good news! WE as MOTHERS (speaking for myself in future tense of course :) CAN change this!! The effect and influence we have is astounding. The two major ways of preventing this emotional stress in our children is to 1) be sure to discuss our children's emotions with them and 2) give them opportunities to be helpful and to show compassion and attentiveness.

This professor showed various experiments where they had an adult in the room with an 18 month old. At one point, they were coloring together and the adult dropped the marker (on purpose) and instead of just picking it up herself (which of course would have been much easier to do) she gave time for the 18 month old to recognize what happened and see if he would pick it up himself. In each scenario, the child would do the act of service on his own. 

Bottom Line: We as women do not only need to be strong for ourselves anymore but for the tiny humans that we create. They are depending on us. The adversary is doing everything in his power to make us unhappy, depressed, feel worthless. It is our job to not fall into his deceiving traps and enjoy life upon this earth and BE HAPPY.

 (Me and Daron- as tiny humans. Man I have a lot to look forward to :)