THE FIRST BOOK A CHILD EVER READS

Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – May 2025, Pastor Lloyd Pulley

Jordan Peterson once said, “The mother is the first book the child reads and the last one he forgets.” Few statements better capture the lasting imprint a mother leaves on her child. From a child’s first lessons in love and discipline to faith and resilience, mothers are shaping hearts before any classroom ever does.

That’s why it’s alarming when government or education policies downplay or sideline the role of mothers. Education departments that act as experts in a child’s life (enforcing policies like 5756 in New Jersey) or government programs that incentivize broken homes (welfare structures) tear at the moral and emotional fabric of society.

Cultural commentator Matt Walsh once wrote, “If your mother quit her role as mother, entire lives would be turned upside down; society would suffer greatly.” He’s right. The mother-child bond is sacred. Undermining it in the name of progress is not compassion – it’s confusion!

And Scripture agrees. Proverbs honors the teachings of a mother (Proverbs 1:8), and Paul credits Timothy’s faith to his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Even Solomon was profoundly shaped by the words of his mother (Proverbs 31).

Motherhood is more than biology. It’s a calling. A society that forgets this is one that forgets how to flourish. My prayer is that men rise up to support, protect, and cherish this first and vital bond. If we want strong families and strong communities, it begins with honoring the gift of mothers – and God’s good design for the home.