Yaiya Sofia and the kiddos on Ella's blessing day. I'm so grateful for my grandmother and the example she sets for me. She came from Greece, the oldest of 8 children, and worked hard to get everyone to America to avoid the devastation of WWII. She gave and continues to give everything to her family. There is not a single trip to her house that I don't leave with dish soap, toilet paper, or farfalle pasta. Spoiled!!!! But most importantly, my Yaya taught me about Heavenly Father. I've never seen or heard more sincere prayers. When my mother wanted to join the LDS church, Yaya supported her and has done so ever since. Family, our greatest blessing and joy.
Monthly Theme: “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” Came from God to Help My Family.
Monthly Scripture: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11
Week 1 "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" came from God to help my family.
* Make a primary scrapbook of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
Take quotes from it and type it on the bottom of a piece of paper. Have many different quotes! Give the papers to the children to illustrate that quote. At the end of sharing time, bind the papers together and read to the children, showing all the beautiful art of the children.
Let the children know that you will keep the book and use when we can during songs about families! For example, Families can be Together Forever... while the children sing, you show pages from the scrapbook! Use it often to show the children you value their work!
* "What are some things that will help families?...
No better advice can be found than that given in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Read it. Study it. Adopt it as your family standard. Make it the topic in several family home evening lessons so no one in the family has any misunderstanding about how your family operates."
Sister Barbara Thompson I Will Strengthen Thee; I Will Help Thee Oct. 2007 (It is a wonderful talk and I highly recommend reading it!!)
Have some "good advice" from The Family Proclamation printed out on different pieces of paper. I would do about 7-10. For example:
1. "The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave."
2. "Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live."
3. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.
4. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.
Have corresponding case scenarios to the advice. Have a child come up front and read the case scenario. Then have them choose what advice from The Family Proclamation would help.
Case Scenarios (to match the above advice)
1. Sally was really sad because Grandma was sick. Grandma had cancer and it didn't look like she would live very much longer. What happens after we die, Sally wondered?
2. Alex was fighting with his brother... again. His brother was always messing up his legos and so Alex shoved him a lot. He and his brother got in trouble. They were sent to time out and then asked to apologize to each other by their mom. Why do parents have to give us time outs?
3. Elizabeth was so excited to look through her sister's bridal magazine. The dresses were exquisite! She especially liked the poofy princess like dresses! However, most of the dresses were sleeveless. Why would a modest wedding gown be so important?
4. Kenny had a beat up station wagon. In fact, there was a big dent in the side of one of the doors. Many of his friends had brand new cars that sparkled, but they also had both parents who worked outside the home. Why would Kenny's mom choose to stay at home over not having a fancy car?
(And yes, I know that not everyone has the option of staying home!! So my thoughts are this, no children should be made to feel guilty for having a mother that works outside the home- whether by choice or because of need!! Go by the spirit and make up your own case scenarios.)
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HERE is The Proclamation itself. Play Proclamation Pictionary!!!! Use words from it and have a child come and draw! After they draw, quote the entire sentence using that word.
Words could include: The First Presidency, All Human Beings, Premortal Realm, Adam and Eve, Husband and Wife, Declare (This would be harder for young children), Family, God's Eternal Plan, Recreational Activities, Repentance, Work, Love, Law Abiding Citizens...
Challenge the children to go home and play this game with their families!!
* Have about 6 children come up front. One child will stand with their back to the other children. Sing a song about families and have the other 5 children pass a copy of The Family Proclamation between each other. Have them all put their hands behind their backs. When the song is over, invite the one child to guess who is holding it now!
Read parts of The Proclamation and invite children to share how this knowledge can help their families.
Week 2 Marriage between a man and a woman is essential to God's plan.
* Guess the Love Story!! You definitely have to plan ahead! Call 5 different ward members who were married in the temple. Have them tell you their love story, how they met, etc. Also get a picture of their wedding day.
For sharing time, share their story and have the children guess who it might be! Share the couple's picture.
As a tip- when you are telling the story, don't stand in one place. Move around the room and be excited!
True love is eternal love! True love is the love that is shared in the bounds of marriage between a man and a woman. It is essential to God's plan!!
(I did this as a Valentine's singing time idea and it was a huge hit! The children loved it!)
* What was Jesus' first miracle? Where did it take place?
Our Savior's first miracle was at a marriage feast and turned water into wine! Do you think it means anything that His first miracle was at a marriage?
Bring in a basin of water and several items that will sink or float. Today, we'll pretend this basin of the water is one of the water pots from the marriage feast miracle. What are some things that will sink a marriage? What are some things that will help a marriage stay afloat (try to have more of these items to keep it positive)?
Let the children put things in the water and then depending if it sinks or floats, share their ideas.
Possible ideas for sinking: arguing, not saying sorry, not helping each other, not putting Heavenly Father first
Possible ideas for staying afloat: saying prayer together, going on dates, going to the temple together, being loyal, helping with household chores
Marriage can be a miracle! And it is essential to God's plan.
* Bring in a board game. Have 1 child come up front. Ask them to play the game. It's kind of hard to play monopoly when there is only one person!!
Have a tennis racquet. Invite 1 child to come up front and play a game of tennis. It's kind of hard to play tennis by yourself and run back and forth across the court.
Bring in a phone. Ask 1 child to make a phone call. You kind of need someone on the other end!!!
Genesis 2: 18 "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."
Marriage between a man and woman is essential to God's plan! Break into pairs (it doesn't have to be boy and girl... just pairs!) to come up with a drawing of a man and a woman who were married in the scriptures!
* Share the following story about President Monson and how he met his wife. (From The Biography of Thomas S. Monson by Heidi S. Swinton pgs. 89-90) You could even print out a couple of pictures of them and pass around while you read, it's pretty long, but very much worth the read:
" At The University of Utah Hello Day Dance in 1944, he had a friend from West High on his arm when he first caught sight of fellow freshman Frances Johnson dancing with another student to the popular tune "Kentucky." He resolved to meet her but didn't catch her eye again that evening.
It was a month before he happened to see her a second time. One afternoon, while waiting for the streetcar near campus, he saw her chatting with a few friends at the bus stop. Tom recognized one of them from Grant Elementary but could not remember his name. Not sure how to approach the situation, he hesitated - just briefly- when into his mind came a phrase he had committed to memory, "When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past." He squared his shoulders and stepped forward to greet his former grade-school acquaintance. "Hello, old friend," Tom said. "How are you?"
The young man politely introduced Tom to the two young ladies with him, and they all rode the streetcar to town. As Tom bid the three good-bye, he quickly took out his student directory and underlined the name Frances Beverly Johnson. Ever the consummate proofreader, he noted a typographical error in her middle name- "Berverly."
Tom wasted no time. That night he called to ask Frances to the dance at the Pioneer Stake gym that weekend. H has said that he will always remember his first visit to her home to pick her up for that date.
Tom's home environment was noisy, his siblings gregarious; everyone was "part of the action." Whenever his older and "very beautiful" sister, Marjorie, brought to the house a beau- and there were many- Tommy and his younger brother took turns standing on a chair in the kitchen peering through the window in the door to the front room to check him out.
There were no such antics at the home of Franz and Hildur Johnson on Yale Avenue on the east side of town. Frances, named after her father, Franz, was the only daughter. Her home environment was proper and dignified. On Tom's first visit, her father and mother both welcomed him; they were dressed up as if they were going out, but that formality was just to meet him. His nervousness increased.
Franz Johnson asked, "Your name is Monson?"
Tom replied, "Yes, sir."
He said, "I think that is a Swedish name."
Tom said, "Yes, sir."
Then Franz walked over to a cabinet drawer and brought out an old picture of two missionaries with top hats and canes. He turned to the young suitor and asked if her were related to one of the missionaries in the photo, an elder by the name of Elias Monson.
"Yes, sir," Tom said, then added, "that is my father's uncle. Elias Monson was a missionary in Sweden."
Immediately, Frances's father began to weep as he described the visits his family had enjoyed with Elias and his companions in their home in Sweden. He threw his arms around Tom's neck and embraced him. then Frances's mother embraced him. Frances looked at Tom and said, "I'll go get my coat....
Tom and Frances often double dated with friends from the Sixth-Seventh Ward, ending the evening at Don Carlos's drive-in having a barbecued beef sandwich and a pineapple malt. They dated often but did not "go steady"- at least, not at first...."
President Monson was enlisted in the naval reserve during WWII, when he returned he graduated with honors and started dating Frances again.
(pg. 107) " Tom took his mother with him to Davis Jewelry to pick out an engagement ring. He brought it home, showed it to his family, and then tucked it in his pocket for later. On the night he planned to ask Frances to marry him, he picked her up and they stopped off at his home. Seeing the two of them together, his four year old brother, Scott, announced with great glee, "Tommy has a ring for you, Frances." The story is legend in the family."
President Monson and Frances were married Oct. 7, 1966 in the Salt Lake City Temple.
We know that Sister Monson passed away. Her birthday was October 27th. Sometimes people are sad on days that remind them of their loved ones who passed. Invite the children to write notes or draw pictures for President Monson of him and his wife. You can mail them to him-
President Monson
50 E North Temple St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
Week 3 When family life is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we can be happy.
* Set up a small SIMPLE obstacle course. Blindfold one of the children and see if they can make it through the obstacle course? (Watch, so they don't trip!) Have another child come up front and do it without the blindfold.
John 9:10-11 "Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight."
When family life is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we can be happy! We can make it through the obstacles of life easier!!
Have a bucket of hints (based on the teachings of Jesus) at the beginning of the obstacle course. Invite a child to choose one. If they can figure out what the teaching is, they can go through the obstacle course. If they can't figure it out, they have to be blindfolded!!
A few examples of hints:
Fold your arms, bow your head-
You can do this by your bed! (Prayer)
Wrong choices need to be made right-
or else your smiles will not be bright! (Repent, Say Sorry)
Your heart should always have this near-
a feeling for others to make them dear! (Love)
* "Several years ago a severe storm hit the area in which we were living. It began with a torrential downpour, followed by a devastating easterly wind. When the storm was over, damages were assessed—power lines were down, property had been damaged, and many of the beautiful trees that grew in the area had been uprooted. A few days later I was talking to a friend who had lost several of the trees in his yard. The trees on one side of his home were standing straight and tall. They had weathered the storm well, while the trees that were in what I considered the prime spot on his property had not been able to withstand the heavy winds. He pointed out to me that the trees that survived the storm were planted on firm ground; their roots had to sink deep into the soil to receive nourishment. The trees he had lost were planted near a small stream, where nourishment was readily available. The roots were shallow. They were not anchored deeply enough to protect them from the storm.
Our testimonies, like those trees, must be built on a sure foundation, deeply rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that when the winds and rains come into our lives, as they surely will, we will be strong enough to weather the storms that rage about us."
A Sure Foundation Sheldon F. Child General Conference Oct. 2003
Have children write down some of the teachings of The Savior they know to be true. Have them draw a picture of a tree. Just like the trees that were rooted deep, families that have foundations based on the teachings of Jesus can be strong and happy!
I have a PDF file of the above images. If you would like them, just please email me. I love watching children do art!!! Please show the older children especially, that they don't just draw a stick with a poof on top to make a tree! Create and enjoy!!
* In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles state: “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ”
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “
Anchor your life in Jesus Christ, your Redeemer. Make your Eternal Father and His Beloved Son the most important priority in your life...Then all that you need for happiness will come to you”
(The Power of Correct Principles Ensign May 1993 Really great talk!!A must read, especially for stay at home mothers! Know that you are doing good!)
Have a poster board with a drawing of a boat at the top. Use string to create a pulley for an anchor on that string. The children pull the string in the back and can move the anchor up or down. Invite the children forward if they have a happy/positive story about how their family has followed a teaching of Jesus. They tell the story, then can drop the anchor.
You can share 2 stories of your family (Not the children!! You don't want anyone to feel bad) at times that maybe you haven't made the best choices. Show that the anchor doesn't go anywhere on those times.
For example, One time I was tired and grumpy. I raised my voice at my children. Did Jesus teach us to yell?? No He didn't!! Jesus spoke kindly. (Anchor Up)
Or, Our family loves to go hiking and walking. Whenever we are in nature we like to give thanks to Heavenly Father and Jesus for organizing this beautiful world!
(Anchor down)
Week 4 Successful families work together.
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HERE is a page full of quotes about work and the importance it is to families!
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HERE is a really nice Family Duty wheel children can make from The Friend.
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HERE is a video that is pretty cute!! It is not lds.org affiliated, but would be great to show for Family Home Evening on the importance of working together and being unified!!!
* You can play roll the marble!! Choose about 5-6 children. Cut paper towel rolls in half so they form an open toped chute. Take a marble and try to have the children work together to get the marble to the end, by passing with their paper towel tube. After they try, brainstorm ideas and write them on the board of things the children can do this week to work at home and help out with their family. Keep on doing this with other children as time permits. Challenge the children to choose 2 things and do them!!
Roll the marble game image courtesy spoonful.com
* Have children act out the story of Nephi (
1 Nephi 17) and his brothers building the ship. Bring in simple costumes for children to wear.
Nephi had a good attitude!! He always said, "I will go, I will do!" Are we like that when it comes to working and helping our family?
I made a handout for children to take home. It's a blank bingo sheet. Family members fill out things they need help with for the week. Work together to X out boxes and help others in your family!! See if you can get a Bingo or even a black out!! (X-ing out all the squares!) If you'd like a copy of the handout, feel free to email me.
