THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN

INTRODUCTION.

   Susanna Wesley, a woman of strong conviction, knelt down, her bible in her hand & a large apron over her head, her children never interrupted her when she prayed for it was her daily routine, she knew exactly how she wanted to raise her children. The mother of nineteen(only nine survived to adulthood). Susanna's personal life wasn't exactly a bed of roses; she experienced many hardships throughout her life, but she was determined to be a great mother, she spent at least one hour every day praying for each child and also set aside an hour during the week for each of them to discuss spiritual matters.

   Her household was a disciplined one, run like a finely tuned check. She understood that self-will is the root of all sin and misery, so whosoever cherishes this in children ensures their after-wretchedness and that whatever checks and mortifies it, promotes their future happiness and piety. She was the primary source of her children's education.
   Born to a minister father(a puritan), Samuel Annesley, Susanna devoted her life to God early in Life, God made her an uncommon and a successful mother, who mothered two great church fathers, John and Charles Wesley. She steered her children down the path of righteousness. Susanna saw every child as a talent committed to her by God under a trust and ensured she conquered her children's will from the early period of their development. The world needs mothers like Susanna Wesley.

Stakeholders in child's training and development.

    A stakeholder is any person or group that has a vested interest in a matter. There are various stakeholders responsible for the upbringing & training of the child. The school, the church, the parent, the society and the government. Though all these agencies of child development are expected to shape different aspect of the child's life so that he will grow up to become the person he is meant to be, their responsibilities are inter-twined.
   The school trains the child mentally to make him educated, The church shapes the child's spiritual and moral life(Psalm 144: 12), the church is the pillar & ground of truth(1 Tim. 3:15). In summary, parenting a child and preparing him for a great future is a role and responsibility shared by the aforementioned agencies, & they are all expected to pull resources together to help the child grow up in the way and knowledge of God.

Major Stakeholders: Mothers

   Mothers are major stakeholders in youth development because of their natural affinity with their children.
They are traditionally the ultimate caregivers who invest most, if not all, of their time on their children, though today stay-at-home mums are less common, and many men and women engage in shared Earning/Shared Parenting Marriage where they do not follow archetypal or stereotyped "motherhood" and "fatherhood" roles and instead both earn money and both do the unpaid work of parenting and childcare. Mothers are commonly the nurturers of the children and support their emotional growth and stability. As a mother, it is very important to support your youths and provide them happiness. Its not enough to bring forth children, what matters most to God is what you make out of them. Therefore, the lifestyle of your child is, to a greater extent, the result of your training and examples. The kind of upbringing you give to them go a long way to either shape their lives for the better or shattered them for life and eternity.
   You mustn't leave their training to the school, church, society or grannies because of your pursuit of mundane things; but rather complement the effort of these agencies in their development. Recognize that the primary responsibility of youth development lies on you because God has entrusted them to your specific care and you are expected to promote and support their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
 However, the best training you can give to your youths is to instill godly and Christian values in them. Make God the center of your own life, as well as theirs. Be determined to make a success of your parenting job by modeling the Christian life, and raise your children in the way of the Lord. Somebody said, "The key to becoming a more effective parent is to become an increasingly godly person." Give whatever it takes to see that your children grow up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and be optimistic and forward looking in your parenting.

Tips to help develop your children;

- Know your youths, be interested in them, and prepare them for their generation. Never be unconcerned about your children.
- Live by your precepts. Your Influence is more powerful & paramount, never be with a negative influence.
- Love your youths and communicate with them no matter their personality and character. This helps to foster relationship.
- Acquire proven knowledge and tact from successful parents like Susanna Wesley for raising youths, by reading Christian literatures or consulting successful mothers you know, comparing notes and sharing experiences
- Be your child's friend and let him trust and believe in you.
- Pray and partner with God for a successful upbringing of your children.
                                                                                                - with reference to Christian Women Mirror

May the Almighty God shower His grace & mercy on us that we may know the right way to teach our youth, Amen.