Today's plan:
Computer room clean-up
Dusting
Mopping (since I never got to it Saturday)
I've been thinking about my last post, and I think I've had a revelation!! The two issues (feeling like I need to DO something AND the slacking with my kids) are completely related! The thing I've been missing and feeling like I should be doing, is enjoying my kids, loving on my kids, teaching my kids....and sadly, I've even gotten lazy with teaching them about Jesus. It's time to get back on track, and to see the wonderful opportunity God has given me. I used to feel that it was the most important thing in the world, raising these little humans :o) But those feelings got lost somewhere along the way.
Brandon, Haylee, Ethan, Isaac and Elyssa - They ARE my legacy!! Whatever they become as adults, is directly a result of how WE raise them. Wow!! How scary and exciting at the same time!! I'm up to the challenge! Bring it on!
In my church we have what's called "family home evening." Every Monday night we gather our family together and focus on spiritual things or family unity. We discuss spiritual topics, like faith, prayer, etc, or teach a story from the scriptures (visual aids help, or acting them out). I start with an opening hymn, prayer, and then a lesson. I try to make them fun, read a story related to the topic or a book or whatever is needed to teach the topic, and I try to include related scriptures. Then I give the kids a worksheet or coloring page or we play a game, depending what I've found that week. We end with a hymn and prayer and have a treat. Some weeks if I haven't had much time we'll just do movie night. Other weeks you could do an activity, sledding, bowling, etc. Also, one of my goals this year is to read the scriptures together as a family, every day. So far I haven't had any success starting. I always forget by the end of the day so I'm thinking we'll start doing it during breakfast since we're all home. And we always say family prayer together at bedtime, then we help the kids say their own prayer before they get in bed. We also pray at meal times together. Anyway, just a few suggestions. Take it or leave it. Good luck teaching your family. And let me know if you want any help, teaching kids these things is so important!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate! It's so hard with Mike's swing shift schedule. Some weeks he isn't home at all in the evenings, but I could do it without him when I have to. Do you plan it all yourself or do you have any good websites that give you ideas?
ReplyDeleteI use LDS sites they do have a lot of LDS content, like scriptures from the Book of Mormon and LDS hymns, but you could easily adjust it. I pick and choose what I like from different lessons and copy and paste it into word to create my own. I'll send you some links.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite site: http://www.sugardoodle.info/joomla/
ReplyDeleteYou can see at the top she has a "file box that gives you links to tons of topics. She also has a "Family Home Evening Index" with lessons, some of the links don't work, but there's still tons of good ones on there. Yesterday I put together different parts of the lessons under "goals" and made a lesson based on them
http://www.sugardoodle.net/Family%20Home%20Evening/FHEIndex.shtml I don't know if that link will owrk, the %20 is supposed to be a space or something.
A few blogs:
ReplyDeletehttp://fheinasnap.blogspot.com/
http://nataliesfhespot.blogspot.com/
I don't have one, but lots of families make some kind of cute crafty display that says "lesson, treat, prayer, song, prayer" etc and then each family has their name that can be moved each week for whatever assignment they've been given. Of course mom has to help the kid make the treat or give the lesson, but it's great for teaching the kids.
Thanks Kate!
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