Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Our choice for October is Harriet Mosatche, Program Director of the Girl Scouts and mother of two.

From the age of 7, Harriet Mosatche dreamed of helping families and children. As a psychologist, Program Director for the Girl Scouts, book author, advice columnist and mother of two, that's exactly what she's doing. Working as "Dr. M." on the Girl Scouts Web site, Mosatche receives thousands of e-mails asking for advice. In a unique advice column twist, she decided to ask her daughter, Liz (now in 7th grade), to help answer questions. Her teenage son occasionally adds perspective from the male point of view. Teenagers identify well with peers and Dr. M.'s mother/daughter column has attained worldwide success. Mosatche has received praise for her advice from as far away as Africa.

She finds helping young girls very rewarding and loves getting feedback from them. She wishes she could answer all of their questions, but with thousands of queries pouring in weekly that's impossible. "There are so many questions crying out for answers," she says. "I try to look for patterns and answer questions that will hopefully impact thousands of girls." Sometimes Dr. M. and her daughter differ in what they want to advise. "That happens rarely. When it does, Liz and I write replies separately," says Mosatche. Of course, she only asks for Liz's opinion on subjects with which she knows her daughter feels comfortable.

As Program Director for the Girl Scouts, Mosatche writes handbooks, guides and other publications for Girl Scouts ages 5-17 and their leaders. She demystifies topics like growing up female and sudden body changes. "The world has changed since I was growing up," she says. "I try to understand and meet the needs of today's girls."

Busy Dr. Mosatche still finds time to present seminars. She's currently in demand for workshops related to her book, Too Old For This, Too Young For That!: Your Survival Guide for the Middle-School Years. The book has seven "survival tips" which help middle-schoolers transition from childhood to adolescence. In the seminars, Mosatche's readers learn more about the book's survival tips like, "Get used to your changing body" and "Take charge of your life." Other seminar topics include self-esteem, friendships, school and extracurricular activities, and family relationships. In addition, Mosatche doesn't shy away from seminars on subjects that can be painful, like grief, illness and divorce. "Because of the advice column, I'm accustomed to working with some very serious issues," she says.

So how does Mosatche balance career and family? "I'm very busy. Luckily, I have lots of energy." She achieves the right balance by making sure her family is her first priority. Her confident, articulate, compassionate kids (willing to take time out of busy lives to help advise others) are evidence that she practices what she preaches. "My proudest accomplishment is how well-adjusted my children are. They're wonderful kids, caring and fair. I'm very proud of who they've become."

For moms dreaming of kids like hers, she recommends listening (really listening!) to your kids and being available when they need you. "Try to put yourself in their frame of mind to understand how they feel," she says. She advises teaching kids about independence, freedom and self-esteem while they're very young. But if your relationship with your child isn't optimal, Mosatche stresses, "It's never too late to change the way you do things. Don't think 'I screwed up years ago and that's it for me.' Admit your mistake and make changes for the better."

She says that finding common activities brings families closer together. "My family always tries to have dinner together and we talk about our day. If I have to work late, my husband and kids will wait to eat with me," she says. As kids get older, finding common activities becomes more challenging but Mosatche's family still enjoys vacationing in Cape Cod together, kayaking and playing board games. "Even when Liz was very little we played board games and Boggle. We adjusted the Boggle rules for her slightly, like allowing her to make two-letter words, so she could play with us." Mosatche spends quality time with her daughter as Liz's Girl Scout troop leader, and she makes sure to spend alone time with each of her kids. Also, the advice column helps Mosatche and her kids openly discuss tough subjects.

When Mosatche finds a few minutes of elusive free time, she enjoys dancing with her husband. "My friends tease me because we have very little furniture in our living room and a plain wood floor. But it's perfect for dancing!" she says. She also likes to play the piano, read and just spend time with her family. "My family is the most important thing to me," she says. "I make sure to carve out time for them."