If I'm being honest, I have to admit that I'm also in the middle of a power struggle with my six year old, Sage. It's not over whether she should eat her veggies or clean her room or wear socks with her super stinky brown slip on shoes. It’s over which of us will teach the lesson at our weekly Family Home Evening.
Last week I made a batch of cinnamon rolls, which were timed to be hot right at family home evening time, so we could deliver them to some specific neighbors following our lesson (by me) on service.
Sage had other plans. She gerrymandered her name onto the "lesson" spot on our Family Home Evening chart, announced that we were having a lesson on "camping" and procured a hand drawn page with pictures of camping activities, and a page of a campfire. (Mark had just planned and carried out a Fathers and Sons campout the week before.) To avoid what we knew was an inevitable argument, and in light of her extensive preparation (darn that girl), we decided to humor her and hear out the ever-so-spiritual lesson on camping.
Interestingly enough, the lesson sounded a lot like our family had been drafted into first grade. “First we’re going to split into two groups,” Sage announced authoritatively, “and then we’ll rotate through the stations and learn about camping.” (Insert private eye roll between Mark and me.) “The first station will be Fishing, and the next one will be sleeping in a tent, and the next one will be the campfire, and the last one will be watching the camping part of the movie ‘The Parent Trap’.” (Insert more eye rolls, and Mark shutting down the movie watching part and me complaining (in a teenage-like fashion) that my cinnamon rolls were going to get cold.)
But, bless his heart, Mark convinced me to let Sage run her show. So I tried not to grumble as we pushed the couches together and brought out a queen-size quilt to make a “tent.”
And then I had to try not to laugh when we all had to pretend to go fishing.
And I surprised myself by procuring a stick for us to use to roast invisible marshmallows over our paper fire.
And, thankfully, Sage was willing to swap out “The Parent Trap” for taste testing and delivering my hot cinnamon rolls.
And then I got a chance to consider my own message about service more carefully. As nice as it is to take baked goods to neighbors, isn’t it more important for me to serve the people I live with? (And, seriously, what makes kids happier than a fort built out of couches?) If this resolution to serve my family better means I need to bite my tongue while Sage teaches us to cast for fish amongst the strewn about couch cushions, I guess I can do it.
Especially for the reward of happy faces like this.
18 comments:
Such a great lesson, both Eliza's and the one you learned and shared. When sis Beck came to AK last year she talked about this very thing, saying so often we mom's/women worry about doing at the "things" we're supposed to do as good church members, especially when our kids are young. Temple work/geneology? You're building your eternal family. Missionary work? Prepare your children to share the gospel. Serving others? You serve right in your home every single day. And a member of a past bishopric, who was hilarious, also said: clothe and feed the poor and needy? "I've got hungry naked people right in my own home!"
And who says we can't have cinnamon rolls while camping? I'll bet there's a killer dutch oven recipe out there somewhere! Loved this post and reminder!
Sage can come give the lesson at my house anytime. My kids all fight over the activity or treat. I suppose they think those are more fun than giving a lesson.
As for loosing control, just think of it as letting Sage take a turn holding the reins. I KNOW that's hard to do. I wish I could realize that in the moment and let my kids run the show more. Good job!
That is an amazing example of parenting. The best gospel lessons are usually ones we haven't planned for.
Love it. So very true that we sometimes get so caught up in our outside-the-home business that our inside-the-home business gets a little glossed over. Thanks for the great reminder.
Gerrymandering into the lesson spot!!!!! HA! That girl is one of a kind. I love the roasting marshmallows over a paper fire! I wish I had been there for that classic FHE. Your family home evenings are in a class by themselves. (In a good way.) That happy face by Lily is worth a million bucks.
Doesn't sound like you have a problem to me! (What happened with the wet wipe situation?)
If you really want to make sure your FHE lessons don't get overridden all the time, you could always make a chart showing who is in charge of the lesson when. Let Sage be in charge once a month (or less if you prefer) and when she begs to do it, remind her that she has to wait until her turn. I bet she'd be so excited to count down until her lesson! (And hey, at least she's not doing scripture charades of Mary, Joseph, and the baby EVERY SINGLE WEEK!) ;)
That Sage is destined to follow in her mother's footsteps . . . what a leader AND teacher . . . and all already she integrates all the teaching techniques . . . I guess there's still plenty of time to figure out who's in charge. I wish I'd been there, it sounds terrific! (all of you) :)
I wish I was there too! Sounds like a fantastic lesson, roll with the good times.. And no we won't be moving to Utah anytime soon, well unless the prophet told us to!
I wish I was there too! Sounds like a fantastic lesson, roll with the good times.. And no we won't be moving to Utah anytime soon, well unless the prophet told us to!
Sounds like a great fhe to me. If I couldn't be one of your kids I wish I were one of your neighbors.
I love that she prepared a lesson on camping. How often do you guys go camping? Maybe this will spur you to the mountains. Ha. And Liza roasting her marshmallows over the paper fire, gotta love it! I admit though, I am craving cinnamon rolls at this time and wish I had been there for the camping/service lesson. That is really funny though that she went to all that work to prepare the lesson. And the last pic of Lily is priceless.
She can come give the lesson anytime she wants at our house. Speaking of which, would you guys like to get together for FHE or dinner sometime soon?
Sounds like Sage is good at taking charge and coming up with fun lessons, such a clever girl like her mom. She can come give the lesson at our house anytime. I love that she split you into groups. So organized!
Now for Eliza. Haven't you had an ongoing power struggle since the day that little one was born? :)
The camping scene is my favorite part of Parent Trap, too. Too bad it got voted out!
Let's be honest. Did you ever have the power? :)
You're also losing the weight you little twig
I love this! She must really be paying attention at school to be able to mimic the teaching patterns. What a great future she has. And what patience you have!
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