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May 2004 • Volume 3 • Issue 3
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In This Month's Issue: Learn six simple, but powerful, ways to honor mothers.
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Jonathan D. Sherman, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist
Bardos Relationship Consulting
3688 E. Campus Dr., Suite 200
Eagle Mountain, UT 84043
p: 801.787.8014
e: jonathan@bardos.net
w: bardos.net
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Six Ways to Honor Mothers
By Jonathan D. Sherman, LMFT |
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 My children’s mother is magnificent. My own mother was phenomenal. She was not perfect nor did she have to be. With pride and gratitude I can echo Abraham Lincoln’s sentiment, “Everything I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” My mother and step-father taught me to respect women, mothers and wives. My children are learning the same from us. My boys will honor the women in their lives and my girls will expect to be honored by the men in their lives.
Mothers Day is obviously a great day to show appreciation for our mothers. However, one day is not sufficient. Appreciation, to be effective, must be expressed frequently, regularly and consistently. Appreciation is a relationship non-optional. While appreciation does not need to be over-the-top I think we can go beyond one card once a year. Here, then, are six tips for honoring mothers throughout the year.
1. Fathers, teach your children well.
Henry Ward Beecher wisely declared, “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” Since real love is a behavior more than a feeling it follows that there will be plenty of loving behaviors for your children to copy from you. Show it so the kids can learn it
2. Require respect.
Aretha Franklin, in her song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”, admonished her man to “give me my ‘propers’ when you get home” meaning to show proper respect for her. Men must show it and women must expect it.
3. Say “thank you” in word…
Our children have learned that saying “please” and “thank you” are mandatory. Some parents think kids should just do this naturally. That’s not how it works. They must be taught and it must be required for it to work.
4. …and deed.
Just saying thank you is not enough. In our home we had to find ways to make sure we were showing that same appreciation. My mother used to tell us, “‘Mom’ is not spelled ‘S-L-A-V-E.’” I require my children to treat their mother with respect. They have also learned that they can show their gratitude by helping when asked without attitude. It’s hard for a mother to feel appreciated when people say “thank you” and “I love you” and then won’t even pick up after themselves.
5. Encourage and praise her.
Do you know how many women have told me they actually hate Mother’s Day? Many have expressed that they feel inadequate because they are not doing enough or aren’t as good of a parent as So-and-So. Tell them how wonderful they are, how great they are doing, how there’s none better, and for Heaven’s sake don’t ever compare them to someone else.
6. Mothers, respect and appreciate yourself.
Appreciation goes both ways. Appreciate yourself, too. By doing so you’ll not only feel better about yourself you’ll also be less willing to accept a lack of appreciation from others. This sets a higher standard for how others in your family treat you. Do not compare yourself to others. Give yourself a break. Ease up. Take a deep breath. You don’t have to do it all. Just be there the best you can and appreciate yourself for that.
For an extensive collection of quotes on mothers see the "Motherhood Quotes Collection" link below.
More articles and tips for creating greatness in your relationships can be found at bardos.net/resources
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Reminder: Join me Saturdays May 29th and June 5th, 2004 for the fun, upbeat and informative “Pre-Marital Workshop: Prepare for your marriage, not just your wedding.” Call 801.787.8014, jonathan@bardos.net or visit www.bardos.net/premarital to register and for more details. Perfect for recently married couples, too.
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Start your marriage right!
Join me Saturdays May 29th and June 5th, 2004 for the fun, upbeat and informative “Pre-Marital Workshop: Prepare for your marriage, not just your wedding.” Learn how to be more mindful and attentive of your relationship from day one to your 50th anniversary together. What better wedding gift to give each other than to commit to enhancing your marriage by learning skills that will continue throughout the years to reinforce your love for each other. Give the best gifts: the gifts of knowledge, commitment, appreciation, communication and time together. Perfect for recently married couples, too!
Please contact us at info@bardos.net or 801.787.8014 for more information.
Click here for more info and to register. Hurry...space is limited!
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| Upcoming Events & Schedule a Speaker! |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 29th and June 5th.
Pre-Marital Workshop: Prepare for your marriage, not just your wedding. (see above or visit www.bardos.net/premarital)
May 20th.
Building Strong Families: A Strength-based Family Wellness Model (Click here for more details: http://www.bardos.net/opportunities/SpeakersBureau/BSF-Professionals.html)
and
Marketing Family Strengths: Taking Best Practices to the People.(Click here for more details: http://www.bardos.net/opportunities/SpeakersBureau/RWS-Professionals.html)
Utah Spring Mental Health Conference &
Rocky Mountain Council of Mental Health Centers Conference 2004
Ogden, UT
 Ongoing Free Workshops:
The Relationship Wellness Series
Free monthly workshops designed to strengthen families and enrich our community.
See Calendar of Events for full details on all upcoming workshops and events or contact 801.787.8014.
Schedule a Speaker!
If your organization is looking for a fun, upbeat and informative way to encourage, inform and inspire your people allow me or one of my colleagues to be of service. Contact me at 801.787.8014 or jonathan@bardos.net to discuss customizing a presentation to fulfill your needs. Contact us as soon as possible as the calendar fills up quickly. Note: Speaking services are offered as a pro-bono service to church and community groups.
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| If you enjoy the Bardos "Great Relationships" eZine and know a friend, colleague or family member who may benefit from or enjoy receiving it, please forward it along to them! |
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| FREE Great Relationships Packet Offer |
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| The Great Relationships Packet includes:
• "The 15-Minute Marriage Make-Over" Worksheet Exercise
• 7 Ways to Make Your Marriage Last"
• "9 Rules for Fair Fighting"
• "12 Steps to Better Marital Communications"
• "Daily Romance: Keeping the Love Alive"
• "Wisdom From the Ages: The Power and Beauty of Committed Love"
• & Much more!
To receive your FREE Great Relationships Packet simply email GreatRelationships@bardos.net and state you would like to receive it. What could be easier than that? Well...? Huh...?
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| Jonathan D. Sherman, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Relationship Consultant specializing in creating "greatness in relationships." He is experienced in assisting people learn to improve their marriages, their parenting and themselves through skill development, life coaching, overcoming depression and anxiety, stress and anger management, and addiction recovery. He teaches extensively on a wide range of relationship topics. He is the founder of Bardos Relationship Consulting. You may reach him at 801.787.8014, jonathan@bardos.net or at www.bardos.net. |
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Copyright and Fair Use Information:
© 2004 Bardos Relationship Consulting & Jonathan D. Sherman, LMFT, All rights reserved. Some have asked if they may reprint information and articles from this eZine or from bardos.net. You are free to use material from the Great Relationships eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:
"By Jonathan D. Sherman, LMFT of Bardos Relationship Consulting. © 2004 Bardos Relationship Consulting & Jonathan D. Sherman, LMFT, All rights reserved. Please visit Jonathan's web site at http://www.bardos.net for additional articles and resources for creating greatness in relationships."
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