I know it must start with me.
I must focus on my own faith and my own spirituality; likewise, my children must do the same.
How I wish I could just feed them every morsel they will ever need, instead I will hope to inspire them and then pray for the moment that I can sit back and watch them feast away because they have the desire to do so.
If I am excited about making faith and spirituality a priority in my life, then my kiddos may also feel this excitement and will hopefully join right in with me. The way I attempt to make this happen in my life is to keep it exciting, engaging, interactive and alive!!! That’s what makes me tick and so far it works with my kids.
I love to see the ideas that others have and so today, I’ve decided to just share a bundle of the various things I pull from my shelves. I have no rhyme or reason to which I will choose which day…I thrive on a little spontaneity…so I just go for it, whatever feels right or looks good, I choose.
Some of my favorites are the little games we play…I’m a bit crazy when it comes to getting my kids involved…I will grab a stack of cards such as our WE BELIEVE cards (all the Articles of Faith broken up into small sections) and I will toss them into the air while the kids rush as quickly as possible to put them all together and in the correct order. This can happen with the Ten Commandments or with any verses you may be memorizing as a family…you name it, it will work here and it’s truly a blast!
We have the typical things, the Friend magazine, the Ensign, the New Era, and of course our scriptures. I love Preach My Gospel and The Gospel Art Kit is a must!!! Many years ago I put together a huge binder of Family Home Evening lessons, these are perfect to pull off the shelf and share any day of the week…way too good to save only for FHE!
We’ve done everything from role playing our favorite stories to learning tidbits from the LDS Children’s Encyclopedia. Everything from drawing pictures of our heroes from the scriptures and talking about what makes them special in our eyes to making our own Title of Liberties to display.
I’ve picked up games and books for years that we just keep using again and again…that’s the bonus of having a variety ~ and you never tire of them!
I believe the secret is to enjoy the time with your kids…
IF it feels too big and burdensome, you will not enjoy it and your kids will know it.
So find what works for you…
if you love having it all lined up for certain things each day of the week, go for it.
If you are more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda momma, then just pull away at whatever grabs your fancy.
There is no “Right Way” to do this in our homes…whatever is right for you is all that matters.
One last thought that I’d like to leave you with is a small quote I placed on my Family Home Evening Book; it serves as my personal reminder of what I feel is truly important in this life…
“What a beautiful place this world will be when every father and mother see the importance of teaching their children the principles that will help them be happy and successful. Parents teach best when they lead by good example; govern their little ones with patience, kindness, and love unfeigned; and have the same spirit of love for children that Jesus exemplified.”
M. Russell Ballard
No comments:
Post a Comment