“Listen to your mother!” We've all heard it a million times....it's an effective reminder that makes kids sit up a little straighter and pay attention. Yep, it's true, kids need constant reminders on how to behave, but unfortunately, it's the grown ups in this country that need to be reminded these days. You know, ”mind your manners,” “clean up your own mess,” “don’t be a poor sport” and on and on. So, who better to do it than America’s moms?

We are the example our children see and hear every day, so America’s moms know that our “actions speak louder than words.” But, it is time that we hold other grown-ups accountable for their behavior, too. Our kids are watching and listening, so “do as I say, not as I do" doesn't cut it anymore. If congressmen can't "mind their manners" while the President is speaking, how do we expect a ten year old to be respectful when his teacher is talking? If professional athletes can’t “be a good sport” when they lose, how do we encourage a disappointed t-ball player to be one? If rock stars don't grasp that there are times when "the world doesn't actually revolve around them," how do we convince our teenagers of it? If we expect better kids, we all must be better examples.

America’s kids are our future. Our President reminds us that they are the next generation of “risk-takers, doers and makers of things.” They are the next bankers and baseball players, teachers and technicians, police officers and policy makers, artists and astronauts, scientists and social workers…and they will be the role models for the generation after them…the next Presidents, Wall Street whiz kids, Nobel Peace Prize winners, curers of cancer, soldiers, parents…our kids are going to define the future of our nation…and we have the incredible job of shaping what kind of people, and citizens, they grow up to be.

President Obama challenged us to usher in “a new era of [parental] responsibility.” At first, we thought it was about turning off the TV and making sure the kids were doing their homework. And, frankly, Deb and I thought we were doing a pretty good job, but then we realized we were missing the big picture. We aren’t just raising kids, we are raising the citizens who determine the future of our country. The country we all love. We can all rally around our kids and our country, right? We can find common ground on the issues that matter most to raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted citizens, can't we? Sure, we need to know how and why we see things differently, but that’s not where the conversation should begin and end. It needs to start at the kitchen table with some common sense and come full circle in parenting our kids through the social and political issues of the day…while using “indoor voices” and “nice manners,” of course!

President Obama has the economy, health care, two wars, the environment, education and a few other things on his “to do” list right now…while America’s moms are the family banker, nurse, diplomat, general, gardener, teacher, etc. So, we get it. We are also responsible for making sure our kids are doing their chores, brushing their teeth, not fighting with their siblings, picking up after themselves and doing their homework, all while teaching them patience, manners, accountability, self-reliance, discipline, persistence, resilience, empathy, kindness...and the commitment and hard-work required to follow through on their dreams for tomorrow. Kind of like dealing with Congress!? President Obama and America's moms have parallel roles right now. President Obama is the leader of our country and moms are the leaders of our families. President Obama’s slogan is “change we can believe in,” so our slogan is “change begins at home.” He has an important job to do...but, our job is the most important. We are the "opinionated moms" who influence our kids, families, communities and, ultimately, the direction of our country. We are O-MAMA. Our kids and our country need us, so we need to work together to find common ground and really make a difference on the issues that matter most!

If we keep in mind the simple lessons we’ve all been taught by our own mothers, then maybe the complex social issues that our country is facing will become a little less complicated. Maybe, if we stop second guessing every intention and start really believing the things we already know to be true--like "don't judge a book by it's cover," "practice what you preach," "live and let live", "leave it better than you found it," etc.--then, we can finally start tackling some of the issues we can no longer avoid and teach our kids the life lessons we can no longer ignore. Maybe, just maybe, these issues are not as difficult as we think they are?

With a little humor and a lot of common sense, America’s moms can be a constructive voice in our country’s most important conversations. Can we do it? You betcha!