{"id":25168,"date":"2025-05-08T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25168"},"modified":"2025-04-27T08:32:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T12:32:59","slug":"4-characteristics-of-a-great-mom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2025\/05\/4-characteristics-of-a-great-mom.html","title":{"rendered":"4 Characteristics of a Great Mom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/05\/girl-2480361_1280.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25177\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/05\/girl-2480361_1280.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve all known that special woman who seems to embody the very heart of what it means to be a great mom\u2014wise, nurturing, steady, and full of love. And if you\u2019re a mom, chances are you\u2019ve wondered,\u00a0<em>Am I doing this right? Will my children remember me as a great mom?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Here are\u00a0<strong>four<\/strong> traits of a great mom to consider:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> A Great Mom Speaks Life<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>A great mom focuses on the\u00a0positives\u00a0in her children. This doesn\u2019t mean ignoring their flaws or pretending they\u2019re perfect\u2014it means choosing to highlight their strengths, speak encouraging words, and celebrate who they are becoming.<\/p>\n<p>Your words carry tremendous power. I\u2019ve met countless adults in therapy who still feel the sting of harsh criticism or careless comments made in childhood. On the other hand, when a mom becomes her child\u2019s greatest encourager, it builds lifelong confidence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Speak life.<\/strong>\u00a0Be the steady voice of hope, grace, and truth in your child\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cGracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Proverbs 16:24<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> A Great Mom Stands Her Ground<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Being a great mom isn\u2019t about being liked all the time\u2014it\u2019s about doing what\u2019s\u00a0right\u00a0for your children, even when it\u2019s hard. That means setting healthy boundaries, following through with discipline, and working in unity with your spouse to create consistent expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Remember: You\u2019re not called to be your child\u2019s best friend. You\u2019re called to guide, correct, and lovingly shape their character.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cFor the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Hebrews 12:11<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong> A Great Mom Creates a Safe Haven<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Home should be the place where children feel\u00a0most safe\u2014emotionally, spiritually, and physically. A great mom fosters this by practicing\u00a0patience, apologizing when she\u2019s wrong, extending forgiveness, and modeling emotional self-control.<\/p>\n<p>Yelling, harsh anger, or emotional withdrawal (like the silent treatment) can break a child\u2019s sense of security. Instead, a great mom works to respond, not react\u2014to be a calming presence in the storms of childhood.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control\u2026\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Galatians 5:22-23<\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong> A Great Mom Prays for Her Children<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Above all, a great mom lifts her children up to the Lord in\u00a0prayer. She understands that prayer isn\u2019t a last resort\u2014it\u2019s her greatest parenting tool.<\/p>\n<p>One of my favorite books on this topic is\u00a0<em>Praying the Scriptures for Your Children<\/em>\u00a0by Jodie Berndt. She reminds us that when our prayers are shaped by God\u2019s Word, they align with His will and bring peace to our hearts. Pray for your child\u2019s heart, their choices, their friendships, and their future. There\u2019s no substitute for a praying mom.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cLet the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Matthew 19:14<\/p>\n<p><strong>This Mother\u2019s Day\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As you open those heartfelt cards and unwrap thoughtful gifts, take a moment to reflect on\u00a0who you&#8217;re becoming\u00a0as a mother. Great moms aren\u2019t perfect\u2014they\u2019re prayerful, intentional, and full of grace.<\/p>\n<p>So whether you\u2019re in the trenches with toddlers, navigating the teen years, or watching your children become parents themselves, remember:\u00a0your role matters\u00a0more than you know.<\/p>\n<p>Happy Mother\u2019s Day\u2014and thank you for showing up with love, every single day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve all known that special woman who seems to embody the very heart of what it means to be a great mom\u2014wise, nurturing, steady, and full of love. And if you\u2019re a mom, chances are you\u2019ve wondered,\u00a0Am I doing this right? Will my children remember me as a great mom? Here are\u00a0four traits of a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[914],"tags":[8890,410,1267,8893],"class_list":["post-25168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family-relationships-2","tag-great-mom-characteristics-of-a-mom","tag-mom","tag-mothers-day","tag-prays-for-children"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>4 Characteristics of a Great Mom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re a mom, chances are you\u2019ve wondered,\u00a0Am I doing this right? 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