Today we have a guest post from Ashley. Before I post what she wrote, I would encourage you all to think about it as you read it. I myself, am a mother's helper, and it has been such a joy to see the way it bless's the children as well as the moms and dads. So, without further ado, here is Ashley's post. :)
Mother's Need Help!
You've seen it before. A mom in the grocery store with four toddlers. Most of the time she doesn't get very many groceries.
Why? Most mom's with small children don't like to go shopping with their little ones. Mom's need help. It's just a plain fact.
Last year I started to be a mother's helper. You know, someone who spends the day with a family and just helps however she can. Doing laundry. Watching the kids. Making lunch. These are some of the things I did. And lots of the time it wasn't easy.
Being a mother's helper also allowed me to develop good relationships with mom's that I wouldn't have if I hadn't first been their mother's helper. Be prepared to have good conversations. I'm not very outgoing around adults but once I got to know these ladies I was a lot more comfortable around them and I was also more open to talking and sharing. This put me in a great position to receive biblical mentoring which is what the Bible talks about in Titus 2:
"That they (the aged women) may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2: 4-5
Being a mother's helper is a great way to watch older women (well, older than us) in the home. It gives us as young ladies a good example to follow.
I have to say, there are a lot of things you can learn from being a mother's helper. Here's just a few:
1. You get to see how other families run their household.
2. You get to interact with younger kids who aren't your siblings.
3. You get to learn to serve in another household.
4. You learn how to ask questions.
And that's not including how much you will bless the mom you help! So let's look at these close up.
You get to see how other families run their household.
How do they fold their clothes? What cleaning products do they use? When do they normally eat lunch? All of these questions will be answered when you step into their home and start to get your hands dirty.
You get to interact with young kids.
We tend to be a little short with our siblings, you know? But when we're with other kids who aren't our siblings we tend to have a lot more grace. Young children look up to older friends so it would mean the world to them if you just took a minute to spend some time with them.
"And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them." Matthew 18: 2
You learn to serve.
In my house I may just do something that needs to be done, but in someone else's house I'll be more reluctant. Most mother's aren't going to give you a list at the front door to tell you everything you could do. Some mom's will ask you while others will just expect you to play with the kids, but part of blessing mom's is doing the things they won't have time for in their busy schedule or maybe even giving them time to run an errand by themselves or take a nap.
"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Mark 10: 39
You Learn to ask Questions
This is a big one. I'm a very shy girl and sometimes I'll hesitate to ask about something. But, again, part of blessing someone else is doing the job right so they don't have to do it over later. So ask questions. Mom's won't get offended by simple questions.
You probably know a young mother with a couple toddlers that could use some help. Offer to spend the day (free of charge) just helping her with whatever she needs. It might not be easy but it's worth it.
