Gratitude #16

Today I am grateful for Family Home Evening.  We have been holding FHE on Tuesdays since Les has his EMT class on Monday nights.  In order to make our efforts to have FHE more often we have started using the Family guidebook for lesson ideas.  The first week we used it we went over The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  We talked to the kids about our roles as parents and the roles that they have as our children.  Les posed the question, "What do mommy's do?"  Emma answered.  Here is what she said, "Cook, clean, and teach homework."  I was tempted to feel offended.  I felt better after Les asked her what daddy's did.  She said, "Take tests, go to school, go to bed to sleep, watch TV, play video games, make dinner (a little confused by this one since I do almost all cooking), and give blessings."  Then Les asked, "What is your job as our daughters?"  She listed off such things as play, take big girl and baby naps, play outside, get dressed, and use the potty.

The next week we talked about Family Scripture Study, Individual Scripture Study, Individual and Family Prayers, Special Prayers, and Blessings on the food.  One thing I learned from this lesson was that it doesn't matter if you get Family Prayer in twice a day.  Once a day will do.  Since Les is gone most evenings and some mornings getting family prayer in twice a day was hard to do.  So on the days he is gone at night we have our prayer in the morning.  When he gets up and leaves before the kids get up we have our prayer at night.  Several months ago I for one was so stressed out that I let a lot go.  As a result of this lesson I found the Book of Mormon Stories book my parents gave us for Christmas a few years ago.  We are reading from it again at bedtime.

The lesson tonight did not come from the Family Guidebook.  As a result of recent events we decided our children needed a lesson on Reverence.  We talked to them about the physical things such as folding their arms and closing their mouths.  Then we talked about how when we are reverent that we should think about our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ.  We had the kids practice sitting in reverence.  Then we played a little game.  We had the kids run around the livingroom making as much noise as they could.  Then I called out reverent time.  When they heard it the were it sit back down, fold their arms, shut their mouths and think of Jesus.  Then I called out play time and they jumped up to run around.  It went on like this for a while.  Mostly because Emma kept prompting me to keep it going.

I do understand why we didn't have FHE much when we were kids.  My kids throw their tantrums and I find myself thinking that I would rather be doing something else.  Afterward as I sit back and reflect on it I am grateful that we are trying to do this.  It is great family time and along the way I hope that something will be learned by my children.  In the family guidebook it tells us that when parents don't teach their children to "understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the Living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands the sin be upon the heads of the parents."  

I am grateful for FHE and the change it is bringing to my family.