Q: What answer do you have for those who say being a mother and a housewife is boring and monotonous?

A: Some women see the responsibility that way, but we should recognize that most other occupations are boring, too. How exciting is the work of a waiter who serves food to customers every day, or a medical pathologist who examines microscopic slides and bacterial cultures from morning to night, or a dentist who spends his lifetime drilling and filling, or an attorney who reads dusty books in a secluded library or an author who writes page after page? Few of us enjoy heart-thumping excitement each moment of our professional lives. Even high-profile jobs have their boring dimensions.

On a trip to Washington, D.C., a few years ago, my hotel room was located next to the room of a famous cellist who was in the city to give a concert that evening. I could hear him through the walls as he practiced hour after hour. He did not play beautiful symphonic renditions; he repeated scales and runs and exercises, over and over and over. This practice began early in the morning and continued until the time of his concert. As he strolled on stage that evening, I’m sure many individuals in the audience thought to themselves, “What a glamorous life!” Some glamour! I happen to know that he had spent the entire day in his lonely hotel room in the company of his cello. Musical instruments, as you know, are terrible conversationalists.

No, I doubt if the job of a homemaker and mother is much more boring than most other jobs, particularly if the woman refuses to be isolated from adult contact. But as far as importance of the assignment is concerned, no job can compete with the responsibility of shaping and molding a new human being. That statement is not particularly politically correct in this cultural environment, but I believe it to be true.

May I remind full-time mothers of one more important consideration: You will not always carry the responsibility you now hold. Enjoy every moment of these days, even the difficult times, and indulge yourself in the satisfaction of having done an essential job right!

Q: My older child is a great student and earns straight A’s year after year. Her younger sister, now in the sixth grade, is completely bored in school and won’t even try. The frustrating thing is that the younger girl is probably brighter than her older sister. Why would she refuse to apply her ability like this?

A: There could be many reasons for her lack of academic interest, but let me suggest the most probable explanation. Children will often refuse to compete when they think they are likely to place second instead of first. Therefore, a younger child may avoid challenging an older sibling in his area of greatest strength.

This rule does not always hold true, of course, depending on the child’s fear of failure and the way he estimates his chances of successful competition. If his confidence is high, he may blatantly wade into the territory owned by big brother, determined to do even better. However, the more typical response is to seek new areas of compensation that are not yet dominated by a family superstar.

If this explanation fits the behavior of your younger daughter, then it would be wise to accept something less than perfection from her school performance. Every child need not fit the same mold – nor can we force her to do so.

– James Dobson is chairman of the board for Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the home.