Affection Between Mother and Father Has Powerful Positive Impact on Children

This morning I was on the treadmill at the gym when the TV screen caught my attention. A  young mother, father, and baby around 9 months old were engaged in a sweet experiment. The mother was holding the baby and dad leaned in to kiss the baby gently on the cheek. Little emotion from the baby was evident from the kiss from her dad however, when dad leaned instead to kiss the mother, the baby just lit up with smiles and clapped her tiny hands. This experiment showed the impact that a mother and fathers love for each other has on their child.

Sometimes those little expressions of affection we sometimes take for granted are huge in the eyes of our children and families. It brings kids a sense of well-being as well as a sense of security and belonging when they observe small acts of kindness and affection between their parents. H. Wallace Goddard, in his book, "Drawing Heaven Into Your Marriage," talks about appreciating the "every day" in marriage.  He says, "Those who consecrate themselves to their marriage by bringing their whole souls as an offering to the everyday events of a relationship are building a storehouse of sweet memories. They are building an eternal relationship one brick at a time." (Goddard, 2009, p. 109).

On the contrary, Lynn G. Robbins warns against being vulnerable to Satan's primary target, the family. Satan is waging war on these vital and precious relationships. In Robbin's address, "Agency and Anger," he shares an interesting analogy about stirring up anger. He says, "He(Satan) damages and often destroys families within the walls of their own homes. His strategy is to stir up anger between family members. Satan is the "father of contention and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another"(3Nephi 11:29). The verb stir sounds like a recipe for disaster. Put tempers on medium heat, stir in a few choice words, and bring to a boil; continue stirring until thick; cool off; let feelings chill for several days; serve cold; lots of leftovers."

We must be careful to cherish these relationships and work hard at cultivating them. In Col. 3:19, 21, it states. "Husbands love your wives, and be not bitter against them," and "fathers provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." As we follow this counsel and also turn to the Lord for guidance we can win the battle against Satan. We can have relationships that are perpetuated beyond the grave that will be full of happiness and joy.  

References:

Goddard, H. W. (2007). Drawing heaven into your marriage : powerful principles with eternal results. Cedar Hills, UT : JoymapPub., c2009.