Mamas

The parents of the girls in our ministries are responsible for their daughters’ spiritual formation. But some of them have shirked that responsibility and decided to let us handle it. A mother should be her daughter’s biggest ally and closest confidant, but she should never forget her job to “teach what is good and to encourage the young women” (Titus 2:3b-4a). Unfortunately, we’ve all heard horror stories of moms who are actively destroying their daughter’s self-confidence with thoughtless comments about her or who are acting like teenagers themselves.

I heard about a mom who used Facebook to publish a note in which she slandered a group of girls at her daughter’s school. Of course, chaos ensued as girls rushed to defend themselves and lash out at the mom and her daughter, while boys egged on the argument as the comments on the note spiraled out of control.

[For an article on healthy Facebooking boundaries for parents, check out pages 6-7 of next month’s issue of Living with Teenagers. Using Facebook to air your thoughts about your kid’s friends is NOT OK.]

I’m sure you have your own battle stories of mothers you’ve had to deal with in your ministries. But I also hope you have some awesome moms whom you get to partner with to impact the next generation. It’s an important part to play, as mothers and daughters sometimes need your help in connecting with each other and growing spiritually.

When was the last time you planned an event for moms and daughters in your church? What has worked well for you in your ministries to get mothers and daughters on the same page (or at least in the same room for an extended period of time)? We’d love to hear what you’ve done and how it’s worked, as well as any ideas you might like to share.

And for ideas on mother-daughter events, check out chapter 10 in Jimmie Davis’ Girl’s Ministry Idea Book.