F.H.E. and my kids

I'm trying to alternate my posts so that some are silly like the previous one, and others are more about my actual life.

FHE = Family home evening. It's something we do in my house to stay close knit as a family, spend time together, and to teach our kids about our religious beliefs. It's quality time that my church recommends all families should do, and it's a lot of fun. Scott and I do ours every Monday night.
Lately it's been harder thanks to Tax season and Scott coming home late, but I keep the kids up past their bedtime so that we can have that time together. It's also great for Scott because it's quality time he gets with the kids who are often in bed by the time he comes home until the middle of April.
For the past 7 years Scott and I give a short lesson, that can range anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on how the kids attention spans are and then we end with some songs, a game and snacks.
A couple of weeks ago we had a great lesson about David and Goliath. I got to teach it, and since I'm a little crazy and also because I've taught lessons to the small kids in my church on and off for 13 years, I get a little animated to keep it exciting. This is especially helpful for my son who only pays attention when you make the story exciting. They loved it and talked about David and Goliath all week. It got me thinking that I needed to come up with more ideas where my kids could feel involved in the lessons and not just stuck listening to their parents the whole time, because even if the lesson is only 5 minutes, when those minutes leave an impression they are worth so much more.
I decided it was time for Crystal and Seth to start taking turns with me and Scott in teaching lessons every Monday. They aren't ignorant when it comes to stories in the scriptures and things they remember, so I let them choose the topic, and then I educate them about that topic everyday for about 10-15 minutes at bedtime all week until it's time for them to give a lesson about it in their own words. Since they are excited about giving their own lessons, and since it's a topic they chose, they listen more intently, ask more questions, and do a fantastic job when they teach.
Having your kids take turns in lessons for family home evening isn't a new and exciting discovery, but we hadn't done it in my home yet because they're both small. Crystal is 6 and Seth is 3. However, what swayed me to start them on their lessons at this point is that my parents let me give family home evening lessons as early as four years old, and the impact it had on my life was tremendous. It taught me from an early age to seek knowledge and to remember things that were being taught, and it also taught me how much I loved sharing what I knew. As a four year old, I knew I would be a missionary for my church one day because I loved telling people about my beliefs and showing them how they could find the same happiness I did through those beliefs.
I once was told by a friend, that teaching kids these things this early was equivalent to brain washing. I disagree. Teaching your kid not to lie, cheat, steal or kill, to be kind to others, to make good choices and to ask God for help is not brainwashing, it's educating them on how to live a full, happy and productive life. It's the same with my religious beliefs. As a parent who loves them, I teach them the things that have given me true happiness throughout my life, and stories that have taught me life lessons that I still use everyday.

Anyway here are some videos of Crystal and Seth telling some of the basic stories in our church. I was missing the camera during Seths actual lesson, but I had him retell the story on film this morning. He is still in his pajamas on it, I didn't make him change cause he loves his Batman pajamas more than anything on the planet. Here is seth telling a little bit about who Joseph Smith is. I'm posting Seth's first because he's only three and so his is the shortest.




Crystals lesson was a few weeks ago, and I was able to record it while she actually gave it. The lesson is in her own words, she just uses the pictures in the book as a guide so that she doesn't forget where she is when she's speaking. This also gives you a chance to see a little bit into our lives when we have our family nights together, although I did edit it a little because Seth started acting up and had a small meltdown in the middle of it, but I cut that part out so that you could only see the pleasant side of my children. :D Also I apologize that my floor desperately needed vacuuming during this video.

Here is Crystal teaching about our lives before we came to earth.


I'm so proud of my two smartie pants kiddies!!