Final Family Night Thoughts part 3

It is so easy to fill our lives with all the important things that we have to do each week. There are so many places to go, lessons to study for, and things to prepare so that we can just get through another day. There is a time to put the brakes on our lives and not let the world drag us by the nose to another obligation or appointment. Even if there are only one or two people that you can find each week to join with you for your family home evening..you will find a little oasis of peace right in your own home or the nearest park where you decide to hold your next Family Home Evening.

I will share with you from time to time, some of the big and little family nights that we have in our center. There are people all over the world who follow this simple family night plan. Hope you try it.

The world is full of bright ideas. This is one that really works.

Hope you have a great family night this week. Next post- I will share a very special night we had last week at our first friendship family night. I'll tell you about it next post.

How to Have a Family Night- part 2

The "praise part" of family business is a good thing to do during this family hour but be careful of the "needs improvement" part of this business. That part of a family discussion might be more successfully done on another night. Beginning a night with a bunch of complaints, and goals unmet sets a tone that might encourage your friends and family to avoid the next night of family complaints and disappointments. I have a friend who uses this family moment to go around the room and each person tells something great that another family member has done. If you have friends coming to your family night..put their names in a hat and everyone picks a name and tells what they appreciate about that person. The goal here is unity and love --shown through the appreciation of each person gathered around your family night table.

This is a great time to teach the principles and ideas that will help your family (and friends) withstand the challenges of living in the wild world that they face outside the walls of your home. Our job is to lift up the minds and hearts of each little or big person who is with us. Our job is not

to preach, and preach, and then preach some more. This message can be taught by anyone in the family..of any age. Remember, "He who teaches, learns the most." The more that you can get all of the family involved with good questions, object lessons, and hands on ideas to teach them.. the better. This is also a place where we get in a rut.. we teach the same way every Monday. This is the moment to create memories, so start using your imagination. We have kept a family night journal. In it we recorded all the events of the night, including a recipe for our family night dessert. In this written record, we can relearn, and reread all the important principles that we may have missed the first time a lesson was taught. You are creating your own little family "scriptures" full of personal memories, and stories that you have shared. Take a few pictures of your events and you will have created a valuable treasure that your grandchildren can read.

Don't leave this part out. There are many games and activities to have after the lesson. I will include some of the things that we are doing at our outreach center here-- that all ages can enjoy. You can have a short game, like the memorable thimble game that involves a thimble filled with water..(I will give you the rules later), or a board game, or a game that someone has made up to go along with your lesson. In a few weeks, we are going to show the film "8 Below" to our young adults. We have added an icecream social to the event because it is about the snow dogs in the antartic. Love having an activity like homemade icecream, connected to a snow movie. Themes are very fun to have according to season, or holidays that are coming up. All of us love to look forward to activities that are unusual and fun.

This is a favorite part of family night. If you have no dessert ready, create one on the spot. You could bake a simple batch of cookies together or a milkshake, or slush. You could make french toast, or go to the store together and get popsicles or icecream cones. The goal here is to have a relaxed, happy time together.

Family prayer can close your family night. You may want to do this before you serve dessert. This is a time to mention everyone who came by name, and to thank God for each of them. Next post: Final family night thoughts-

How to have a Family Night- Part 1

This is a continuation of the little booklet designed to help new comers to have a successful Family Home Evening. There is something to remember here. Some people have said that Family Home Evening is the only "argument" we have that begins and ends with prayer. This family or friend gathering is not always a perfect family gathering...but I have discovered that if you establish a pattern, a plan, and a determination to meet together once a week at the same time, same place, (or in the summer- go to a different park for each family night- we used to call them "popsicle parks" because we would bring popsicles for our summer family night desserts-- You will be successful. (What a long sentence..sometimes I get carried away)

If you click on these images you will get the enlarged version of this plan. I usually copy (right click) and then paste it to a folder on my computer. Then I can open the full 8 by 10 picture and make a hard copy to share.

I love a friendly welcome to family night. Even if there are only a few gathered, it lets everyone know that we are happy to be together and sets the stage for what can be a very pleasant night. Again, don't get discouraged if you have a few "attitudes" and "rolling eyes" in the group..this was often the case with our kids during the "I don't want to be here.."teen years." I do know that we survived many a grouchy family nights with a short message, a fun game, and (very important) a delicious family night dessert.. If you forgot about the dessert- cinnamon toast is a good last minute choice. Never forget the dessert !

This song can be led by the smallest child to the oldest grandma or grandpa in the group. It can be sung with or without a piano and can be accompanied by a guitar, a plastic flute, an Indian drum, or a set of bells. The song can be a Primary Song, a hymn, or a fun camp song. Don't forget to sing..You could teach a new song that you sing every Monday night for a month. Don't forget to sing..even if your family sounds like a bunch of frogs. Singing brings unity to the group.

This is a perfect place for beginners to participate in family night.. a great time to learn how to pray without being in front of a large group. Prayer can set the tone for the night. Some non LDS family nights like to have a moment of silence or read a quiet poem to their family during this time. What ever you choose, it is a time to feel a peace and to ask God to bless this little group. Next post- family night part 2.

Have you ever seen a family night umbrella?

Our friends who are missionaries in Siberia have asked me to add color to a little "How to Have your own Family Night" manual that I created a few years ago. I decided to publish it here, because one of the events that has been very successful among our young adults is our Tuesday Night Family Night. I love having family nights with all kinds of families- big or small.

If you are living alone, or with just a few roommates, create a family night experience together. If you want to share the gospel, have fun together, and eat a tasty dessert at the end, create a family night experience with your neighbors. You don't have to have a family of little children to enjoy this opportunity. I have always thought that family night is a great way to "gather Israel- one family at a time."

When Elder and Sister Simmons decided to teach a group of Siberians, how to begin having family nights, they created a family night skit- made up of Russian friends. They presented a complete home evening for the public.

75 people showed up to witness their little family home evening.

These first few pages introduce the value of having a weekly night devoted to teaching our families.. even if your family right now is just a group of roommates, neighbors, or good friends.

I will introduce the next part of the booklet tomorrow.. it is getting late.

We began our first "friendship" family night last Sunday night here in Odense with a handful of friends. What a wonderful time we had.. See you next post.