Thankful Bunting
By Jeanine Crane
November 20, 2015
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said, “Choosing to develop a spirit of gratitude will bring us true joy and great happiness.” I love getting my family in a thankful spirit during the month of November. With little children it’s nice to have a visual reminder of those things we are grateful for. One way we like to do this is to make a "thankful bunting.” I cut small pieces of cardstock and pass them out to each family member. I love to see what my children are most grateful for—and the artwork that goes along with it! We hang our bunting at the foot of the stairs so that we can see it every time we come downstairs. Throughout the month we occasionally add more cards. It is a fantastic reminder of everything our Heavenly Father has blessed us with.
Don’t Give Up!
By Marissa Widdison
November 13, 2015
Have you ever felt hopeless? I bet most of us have at one time or another. Emotions like these can be especially confusing to a child. We can help our children develop the resilience they need to survive the trials of life by taking the time to talk with them about the feelings they are experiencing. A couple of pages in this month’s Friend give some tools that you could use to start a conversation. On page 28, comforting words from Elder Holland teach us that when we feel enduring sadness, we can get help, hold on to hope, pray, help others, and look forward to healing. Page 29 features a story from the life of Elder Holland. It was made into a Mormon Message that you can watch here. As we listen to our children and encourage them to seek for heavenly and earthly help, they will be more equipped to endure the challenges that come their way!
Responsibility to Teach
By Jocelyn Christensen
November 6, 2015
The Family: A Proclamation to the World teaches that “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 to be law-abiding citizens wherever they may live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”
No pressure! It should come as no surprise to any of us that being a parent is a big responsibility. The supreme responsibility, because we hold the fate of the future generation in our hands.
Yesterday I felt like I needed a little motivation in my role as parent. So I wrote “Because I love my kids” on the dry-erase board in my kitchen. I looked at it often during the day to remind myself why I do what I do at home. Why am I doing the dishes again? Why am I making dinner? Why am I making my son clean brownie bits off the floor (the right way)? Because I love my kids.
I posted this photo on social media and asked my friends what they did “because they love their kids.” I got some really interesting responses—from “I played two board games with them before bedtime and didn't lose my cool, even though I was exhausted,” to “I made one child go to be early because she was misbehaving and needed to learn consequences.”
The role of a loving parent cannot be overstated. It is from our parents that we learn, well, everything. And the Lord designed it to be so. What a blessing it is to have—and to be—a parents!
