11

I Love My Family

Introduction for the Teacher

To prepare yourself spiritually to teach this lesson, please read and ponder the following:

The family is central to the plan of salvation. Heavenly Father has established families to bring us happiness and prepare us for eternal life. In a family we can learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere. It is important that family members love and care for each other. We show our love by being helpful and respectful (see Ephesians 6:1–3). The scriptures teach us to be “kind one to another [and] tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:32; see also “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

Preparation

Trace or make a copy of the family figures on page 51. Color them, if desired. Cut them out and place them in a container.

I Love My Family

Learning Activities

Begin with a gathering activity. For ideas, see page 3.

Prayer

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Picture

Show the picture of a happy family on page 50. Tell the children that Heavenly Father has given each of us a family. Explain that our families love us and we can show our love for our family by being kind and helpful.

Role Play

Hold the container and ask a child to choose a family figure. Tell the children what member of the family it is (mother, father, brother, sister, or baby), and have the children repeat it with you. Suggest a way they can show love for that family member (by picking up toys, sharing, smiling, and so on). Invite them to pretend to do the action. Repeat this activity with each family figure.

Song

Sing or say the words to “A Happy Family” (Children’s Songbook, 198) and do the actions below. Invite the children to join you.

I love mother; she loves me. (place hand on chest)

We love daddy, yes sirree; (nod head up and down)

He loves us, and so you see, (extend arms)

We are a happy family. (hug self)

I love sister; she loves me. (place hand on chest)

We love brother, yes sirree; (nod head up and down)

He loves us, and so you see, (extend arms)

We are a happy family. (hug self)

Conclusion

Encourage the children to be loving and kind to their family members. Invite them to say, “I love my family.”

Prayer

Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

Teaching Tips

Figures: If you don’t have access to a copy machine, place a plain sheet of paper over the figures and trace them with a pencil or pen. Don’t worry about tracing all of the details; just trace the outlines and enough detail to identify the figures.

Keep these figures to use in future lessons (such as lesson 13). You can also use them to review this lesson at any time during any nursery class.

Note: During this lesson, be sensitive to the home and family situations of the children.

Optional Activities

Preparation

• For the story: Mark page 18 in this manual so that you can turn to it easily.

• For the poster: Ask the parents of each nursery child for a small photograph showing the child with his or her family (they may have already provided this photograph when the child first joined the nursery class; see page 7). Attach the photographs to a poster board. At the top, write “I Love My Family.”

Story

Show the children the picture of Jesus and His mother (page 18). Point to Jesus and tell the children that this is a picture of Jesus when He was a child. Point to Mary and say that this is Jesus’s mother. Explain that Jesus had a loving family who took good care of Him when He was small, and He loved His family very much. Suggest ways the children can show love for their mothers (by smiling, helping clean up, giving a hug, and so on). Invite them to pretend to do those things.

Song

Add new words to the song “Fun to Do” (Children’s Songbook, 253) to teach the children some ways they can show love for their families. For example, say to the children, “Let’s show how we can love Sister.” Sing “Sharing a toy is fun to do” and do simple actions. Other words you can use are, “Picking up toys is fun to do,” “Cleaning the room is fun to do,” “Giving a smile is fun to do,” “Helping my dad is fun to do,” and so on.

Poster

Display the poster you have prepared. Point to a picture and say, “This is [child’s name]’s family. Here is [child’s name].” Repeat for each child. Emphasize that we all have families who love us and we love them. Display the poster each week and allow the children to respond to questions about their family (”Where is [child’s name]’s family?” “Where is [child’s name]?” “Where is Daddy?” and so on). Add pictures to the poster as other children join the nursery.

Teaching Tips

Preparation: The preparations you make before nursery starts will allow you to focus your attention on the children when they arrive. Greet them with a smile. (See Teaching, No Greater Call, 79.)

Repetition: One of the most important teaching methods for nursery-age children is repetition. Children like to hear the same songs and stories over and over. Use the same words each time.