Class member: It’s more of a priority for me to get my kids to love to work. That’s what I’ve been really trying to focus on. Our background is that we have a blended family for the past 6 years. We have older kids. I didn’t focus on work and now I have kids leaving the house. My youngest 2 are going to be the ones I get right. I’ve learned it’s never to late to keep trying.
As you work on the younger two you will be surprised how much it will influence the older ones. It’s never too late! I’m not teaching new doctrine. This is application of the truths we already know. Hopefully we see them in a motivating light.
Class member: I noticed that I am a lot more patient with my children. I didn’t really come here for a list of things to do. I came for a spiritual experience. I have really appreciated that. I came to work on myself. As a result of working on myself I teach out of love and purpose. My frustration and anxiety levels are much lower. I don’t think you can ever stop working on yourself in a spiritual way.
It’s amazing how many people say I came to learn about my children, but I left learning about me.
Class member: It’s helped me identify specific “parenting” things. It’s given me the fact that Parenting can be fun. Let’s make an activity to detract from the ‘learning’ part of it.
It should be. This is the greatest gift Heavenly Father can give you. Being a parent is the greatest.
Class member: The example of living gratitude. I want to make sure my kids know that I love being a mother. I think that I need to change my attitude. I’m learning how I need to change me.
I think a lot of us thing we are really happy being a mom. We don’t want to be single or without kids, but we just don’t always radiate the joy of being a Mom. We need to smile more Part of it is turning life into joy. You can have fun with it.
Class member: I loved the family mission statement. We did ours 5-6 weeks ago. It’s been amazing to be able to pull from that. I don’t have it memorized yet, but we are working on it. It’s been great to draw from that. ‘
You have to use it after you write it.
Class member: I have missed the past 2 classes. I was sitting there thinking about all the things that I have to do. I was thinking that my 8 year old hasn’t ever done the dishes. So I pulled him in and I pulled him in and had him start working with him. We talked about it. He wasn’t very happy to begin with.
Class member: My oldest is 4. She likes to work and do things with me. One morning she didn’t come in the kitchen and help one morning and she decided she wouldn’t eat them because she hadn’t helped.
It’s easy, but sometimes it’s so annoying.
Class member: I’m feeling excited about gratitude and service. I hosted part of a progressive dinner for all the YW. We had about 50 people in my house last night. My daughter that is a Laurel was about to do the devotional in our home. We have been trying to focus on that. She is seeing it in fasting and praying. She is also a Family History working. We are talking about that and reading scriptures. We need the blessings from doing the work for them. We have spray painted leaves gold and every night we write someone’s name on it of someone that blesses their lives, then clipping it with a clothespin to twine as a garland.
Class member: It’s interesting to see how my daughter craved the attention.
Class member: There have been a lot of things. I find myself thinking…did I just do that? Just being here and being reminded and hearing in a different way. On a daily basis I have been evaluating myself. We have always done FHE from the General Conference issue. We got those for them this time and they have highlighters. My daughter did FHE from her Ensign. I can’t come next time, but I will follow the blog.
The kids take ownership and want to know what’s in it. So many paydays.
Class member: You know when you have little kids and go to church and you end up in the hall and you think why am I even here. My kids are older. This class is a real grounding tool to keep real expectations. My kids ‘know’, but they don’t just do it. You don’t see the paydays until after they leave. I still have to go check their jobs. You still have to role play saying 3 nice things about the person. The purpose is not to ‘get it’. We keep teaching those correct principles and the payday is further down the road. My missionary kids are seeing ‘why’ we did the things we did.
There is a huge difference between knowing it in your head and knowing it in your heart.
Class member: I feel like the Lord has been telling me the same things over and over…read your scriptures, say your prayers. This year the class has punched me in the face and I’ve worked hard on making my prayers more meaningful. We have been reading the scriptures each day. Before it was “I should”. This year it was “I have time”. My own personal study is better. I’ve heard all of it and I know all of it. I just haven’t done it.
He doesn’t want to offend. Sometimes they have a harder time standing up. You struggle with them. I keep telling Tracy this kid is fabulous. I can see him different. He doesn’t want to be with the adults. He goes and plays with the kids. You have these ‘payday’ moments.
Tracy…at mutual last night the youth are in charge of the ward Christmas Party. They are having the youth act out the nativity. We have this lady that is a little intense working with them. They assigned parts last night. They have a part for a boy where they need to sing a whole song by themselves. After a couple of minutes Cody said I will do it because I know no one else will do it. He is so afraid that he will croak in the song. He has the confidence to handle it.
The sibling just above him played the lead in the school musical and stole the show. His older sister does piano and performances. Cody doesn’t profess to sing. For him to do this…building self esteem, gratitude, service…that’s what it looks like when they got it. It doesn’t mean they don’t still have growing up pains. He is well founded. He will make good choices.
We sometimes get so tunnel visioned that we forget to look at how fabulous they are. They know that they are making good choices.