30 Apr Mother’s day and Legacy in Mesa, AZ

Mother’s day is coming up, and that means Moms all over the world will be honored for their nurture, training, and love. If you’re a mother, we want you to know we value your role as an influencer more than any other person’s role in society. Raising your children to be loved, secure, and responsible adults impacts the world, one child at a time. At Phelps LaClair (with offices in Mesa, Phoenix, and Chandler AZ) we’ve helped many people set up Wills and Living Trusts for the next generation, so we understand the value of legacy. For that reason, we want to take the time to thank each and every Mom who has given energy, affection, and devotion to mothering well. Your hard work will leave a good legacy!

Legacy: A Mother’s Role

Mother’s Day. The role of Moms in the lives of their children is highly valued in our culture, one of the reasons Mother’s Day is such an esteemed holiday. More phone calls are made on this holiday than on any other day of the year. And believe it or not, more flowers are sold by flower shops on Mother’s Day than are sold on Valentine’s Day. In America, the holiday has been around since 1908, when Anna Jarvis is given credit for its founding. An official American holiday since 1914, this year our nation will celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 13.

Why is a mother’s influence so important for her children? What is the potential legacy a mother can leave for her children? Research shows that parents have a tremendous effect on how their children turn out as they grow older into adulthood. A Mom and Dad will influence their children’s personalities, emotional growth, behavior and habits, and so much more.

We’ll mention a few significant aspects (drawn from the above link) of the power of mothering, and parenting in general, to build security and confidence in kids. This security and confidence is the most important aspect of legacy any parent will ever leave to their adult children.

• Be emotionally engaged and present for your children. It’s not enough to be in the room with your kids. From birth, your children need to know and sense you’re emotionally available and involved in their lives. The quality of time you give them can greatly affect their sense of personal worth and their ability to grow into confident human beings.
• Be kind and positive with children, and recognize that your emotional patterns may affect your children deeply, either positively or negatively. From how they’ll eventually cope with stress, to their future success in academic and social abilities, how you interact emotionally with all the members of your family may set them up for success or failure in so many areas of their adulthood.

This quote from the Vanderbilt article sums it up well: “Parents can help their children develop into emotionally stable people by giving them a supportive environment, positive feedback, (being) role models of healthy behavior and interactions, and (being) someone to talk to about their emotional reactions to their experiences.”

Legacy: Wills and Living Trusts

Another important aspect of mothering (and fathering) well, is planning financially for the future. When your children are small, that’s a great time to set into motion a living trust or will that can protect your children in the event of any unexpected crises. Though none of us wants to think about the possibility that something could happen that would leave our children financially vulnerable and unprotected, wise parenting plans ahead.

Setting up Wills and Living Trusts is what we’ve done for several generations. We encourage you to take the time and effort to establish a plan now that may protect your legacy in the event that you become disabled, or you’re no longer around to provide for your children’s needs. You’ll give yourself peace of mind, knowing that you’re preparing a safe financial future for your kids. And from all of us at Phelps LaClair in the Phoenix Valley, Happy Mother’s Day to every Mom out there. For all you do—we salute you!

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (4/23/2018) Ernest James (Flickr)