Education Through Experiment

FHE - Why We Have the Sabbath Day (The Creation)

2017-12-21T18:55:00.000-08:00

My five year old was asking about Sabbath Day activities, and we asked him in return why we have the Sabbath Day. He said it was for sleeping and church. Well, he wasn't entirely wrong, so we went with it and further probed 'why.' His answers left my husband and myself feeling like maybe we hadn't done the best job in explaining why the Sabbath Day exists and why it's important. So, if you find yourself in the same boat, hopefully this FHE lesson will help. (Please click here if you don't know what Family Home Evening is.) This lesson is targeted to a much younger group with a short lesson and simple activities. It was helpful for my five year old, but also held the interested of our two year old.

Materials:

Print outs of creation days (click link at end of lesson)
Printed poem (or device to read it from)
Display board/magnetic white board or chalkboard
Coloring picture

Why We Have the Sabbath Day

Song: Remember the Sabbath Day, Children's Songbook, pg. 155

Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11 - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Lesson:

Ask:

What do you know about how the earth began?

Prepare:

Lay the pictures of the creation out where the kids can see them all. Make sure they are not in any particular order. Explain to them you are going to read a poem about the creation. They should find each picture that corresponds with each day of the creation and place them in order on the display board as you read. (If your children are younger, stop between each day to allow them time to find the pictures. If your children are older you might decide to read the entire poem first, then have them place the pictures in order to see how good their memory is)

Read: The Creation by Lisa Phipps (Friend, January 2005)

On the first day God said, "Let there be light,"
And He separated the day and night.

On the second day God created sky.
He painted it blue with clouds floating by.

On the third day God made the land and seas.
He added green grass, bright flowers, and trees.

On the fourth day God made stars twinkle bright.
He made the moon for a little more light.

On the fifth day God made owls, ducks, and larks.
He filled the sea with whales, dolphins, and sharks.

On the sixth day God made creatures on land
Like deer, frogs, dogs, zebras, woman, and man.

On the seventh day God said all was blessed.
He smiled happily and took a rest.

Ask:

What did Heavenly Father do on the seventh day?
What do we call the seventh day?
Refer back to the scripture read (reread it if necessary): What has Heavenly asked us to do on the Sabbath day?
Why do you think the Sabbath day is important?

Optional Activity: Brainstorm ideas for Sabbath day activities and write them on the board.

Coloring Page

Creation Pictures Link - I only used the pictures for the seven days of creation by cutting out the circles and discarding the words. Making each child their own Creation Minibook using this link instead of doing the coloring page might be a great alternative for an ending activity depending on age.

*P.S. Remember to begin and end each FHE with a prayer.

FHE - Jesus Said Love Everyone

2017-06-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

We live in a hard world. As members of the LDS church we know that Heavenly Father has certain expectations of us, that certain things are good, and other things are sins. The world is full of people that make decisions we know are contrary to God's commandments, but that does not give us license to hate or be unkind. This lesson is an introduction for younger children to the idea that we have been instructed, even commanded, to love all of God's children.

Materials:

Chalkboard
Chalk
TV (with internet access)
Coloring page (link below in lesson)
Crayons

Jesus Said Love Everyone

Song: Jesus Said Love Everyone, Children's Songbook, pg. 61

Scripture: John 13:34-35 - "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another"

Lesson:

Ask:

Who do we love? (Write names down on chalkboard as kids say names of those they love.)
Who else should we love? (Write these down as well. Prompt if necessary. ex: people of different religions, people that make bad choices, "enemies," etc.) Reference Luke 6:27-38 for further ideas and consider reading aloud as a family as you build your list.

Show:

Children's Bible Video - The Good Samaritan Time - 3:50
Ask your kids to tell the story to check for comprehension and be sure to explain why it's such a big deal it was a Samaritan that stopped. (He was considered the enemy.)

Ask:

So what? What does this mean in our lives today? (It means we are expected to love EVERYBODY. Revisit the list previously made.)

Activity:

Brainstorm as a family ways to love people that are on your list - whether they're ones they already love, ones they struggle loving, or ones they've never even thought of before. (ex: call Grandma and sing her a song, donate to refugee centers, volunteer at senior homes, smile at strangers, write teacher a thank-you note, etc.) Choose one to focus on as a family, or choose individually, and make it a family goal for the week.
Good Samaritan Coloring page - while kids are coloring is a great time to discuss the topic and check for understanding, allow them to ask clarifying questions, etc.

Closing:

Share this quotation from Pres. Thomas S. Monson from the April 2014 session of General Conference: "We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey." Bear your testimony of the commandment to love one another.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE 'JESUS SAID LOVE EVERYONE' PRINTABLE BOOKMARK

(If you have teenagers, you might be interested in using Elder Oak's talk from the October 2014 session of General Conference called Loving Others and Living with Differences.)

FHE - Word of Wisdom for Small Children

2017-03-06T11:24:00.003-08:00

I wanted to do a Family Home Evening from the Doctrine & Covenants since that is the book we are focusing on in Sunday School this year. I decided the simplest topic for my small children would be the Word of Wisdom. This was a good, focused introduction into healthy eating that my children haven't had yet beyond what we discuss while preparing meals. Enjoy!

Word of Wisdom for Small Children

Song: The Lord Gave Me A Temple, Children’s Songbook, pg. 153

Scripture: Deuteronomy 14:3 - “Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.”

Lesson:

Ask children to share their favorite thing to eat. Ask whether or not they think it is good for their bodies.
Share that Heavenly Father has filled the earth with good things for us to eat, and that he wants us to eat those good things to take care of the body we are blessed to have.

Share an abbreviated story of how the Word of Wisdom came to be: Joseph prayed to Heavenly Father about concerns Emma had because of men using tobacco in her home. Joseph received the Word of Wisdom as his answer. The Word of Wisdom teaches how to best take care of our bodies so we can better enjoy life and be able to fulfill our purposes here on earth.

Read the Word of Wisdom out loud with food cutouts (link to printable below) placed on the floor. Have children locate the food cutouts as you read. Stop and discuss/clarify as often as needed. Emphasize blessings promised.

Health
Wisdom
Hidden treasures
Energy
Protection

Share Elder Uchtdorf’s experience found in his talk "Continue in Patience" : He was training as a pilot and was required to run often and at great length. He began to notice he wasn’t running as fast as others and was tired even though he was following the Word of Wisdom. He was frustrated at the time, but later he realized the Lord’s blessings are not always fulfilled in the way we hope or in the time-frame we want, but his promises are always kept. If Elder Uchtdorf had not been following the Word of Wisdom during his training he would have been even more tired and not run as well as he had been. Sometimes the blessings given from following the Word of Wisdom are subtle, but they are there.

Activity: Hold onto grocery store ads throughout the week and have them ready with scissors, paper, and glue. Have children cut out foods that are in line with the Word of Wisdom and glue them on their paper.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE FOOD CUTOUTS PRINTABLE

Blogs For a 'Schlumpy' Day

2016-09-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

There are days where I feel down in the schlumps, for no apparent reason, and I need a quick pick-me-up. It might be that I need a laugh, or that I need inspiration, but I just need a little something to get my gears turning again. One of my go-to's is blogs.

On 'schlumps' days I avoid the parenting/family/home blogs because they just add to the pressure and make me feel worse. I prefer blogs that focus on other things or nothing in particular. Below are four of my current favorite blogs that help take me somewhere else for a few minutes so I can recharge my 'happy' batteries.

1) The Bloggess
Sometimes serious, usually funny, always (Well, almost. Sometimes it's just plain ridiculous.) uplifting, this blog is an encouraging and fun read for me. I enjoy her unique outlook on life, her odd quirks, and her lovable family. There is sometimes profanity, but it rarely detracts from the message she is conveying.

This is a picture of her newest book. I haven't read it yet, but it probably tastes the same as her blog. Yes, taste. Roll with it.

2) Cakewrecks
This blog successfully makes me laugh every time I look at it. On occasion I have laughed until tears are rolling down my cheeks. It's a constant mockery of bakeries that produce terrible cakes, and, on Sundays, they showcase truly beautiful cakes that fill me with admiration and envy. Try this one if you need a guaranteed smile.

3) Delicious Reads
This one might not appeal to people that don't love to read, but perhaps you'll discover a book that actually intrigues you. Whether or not a reader, you might want to take a peak. They have the most adorable book club meetings. These are meetings I could never do due to lack of time, resources, money, and friends, but it's fun to see what they do anyways. They provide book reviews, reading suggestions, book-inspired gifts and food, etc. I love seeing what they have to say.

4) The Londoner
This is a newer discovery for me, and I love it! She has beautiful pictures of her simply living life. The blog is simple and fun and inspiring. Her most recent posts have been about a trip to a little island I've never heard of before, but is now on my 'must-see-someday' list. Read this blog if you need some beauty, whether in the day-to-day or the exotic, she has them all.

These blogs have been my best friends the past week as I've been battling the 'schlumps.' Any other suggestions?

10 Lullabies for the Babies and You

2016-08-23T13:23:00.001-07:00

Looking for some lullabies that won't make you want to kill yourself? I think we've all been there after singing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' for the umpteenth time, or whatever song it is that immediately pops to your mind when trying to calm a crying infant or convince your stubborn toddler it's time to calm down for sleep. Over the past month my husband commented that my lullaby repertoire has expanded since our first born was an infant, and I was thinking it might be handy to share some of these with other mothers and fathers that enjoy singing to their children and are looking for more songs.

These are songs that I began to recollect as I have been trying to expose my children to the 'culture' of my childhood. What I love about them is that they are memorable, singable, and hummable. I usually sing one or two to my children before bedtime, but these make a great playlist for other times. This list is perfect for a road trip when you need a calming influence, or just for at home when the need arises. I like to put it on shuffle so the kids have a chance to hear all of the music rather than just the same ones that start the list everyday. Another alternative, of course, is playing the Pandora lullaby station, but unless you pay to not be interrupted by commercials, it's really not that calming in the long run. I also don't enjoy buying CDs of lullabies because they all start to sound the same, and this list is about not driving mom and dad crazy while getting the babes to sleep.

Anyways, I hope this gets those brain cells moving in helping you to remember some of your favorite childhood favorites and to help get those lullabies shuffled up a bit! Click on the song name to be taken to YouTube to hear the lullaby.

1) Baby Mine - Alison Krauss
Originally featured on Dumbo, Alison Krauss makes this a very soothing lullaby without too much country twang.

2) Hushabye Mountain - Stacey Kent
Sung by Dick van Dyke in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Stacey Kent just takes it up a notch with her beautiful voice.

3) Rainbow Connection - Sarah McLachlan
The version I grew up with is sung by Kermit the Frog, but it's much more sleep-inducing without the Kermit voice.

4) Moon River (instrumental) - Bradley Joseph
I actually don't know a thing about this Bradley Joseph guy except that he does a beautiful piano version of 'our song.'

5) Bring Him Home (instrumental) - Piano Guys
This song is great with the original cast recording, but I adore this version done by the Piano Guys - they create such beautiful arrangements.

6) Over the Rainbow (instrumental) - Jim Brickman
Yet another pianist I know nothing about, but he also does just a beautiful job of playing a well-known song and making it his own.

7) Stay Awake - Julie Andrews
I did some research on this one to see if there's a more contemporary artist that sings a beautiful rendition, but the original Julie Andrews does it best.

8) Hallelujah (instrumental) - Brian Crain
I'm beginning to think I need to spend a little more time in the instrumental world as I have been discovering several great pianists - yet another artist I don't know, but I love his version of Hallelujah.

9) What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Some Louis songs get a little rowdy with his trumpet playing, but this one is calm, and even his gravelly voice can be soothing come bedtime.

10) Loch Lomond - Peter Hollens
I sort of adore Peter Hollens - his acapella arrangements are awesome. I don't love watching his videos, but they do a good job of portraying how many layers he had to record for each song.

This playlist comes to just over a half hour. If you need a longer playlist, then listening to the Pandora station throughout the day is a great way to get ideas of lullabies to add to the list that your littles would enjoy. Plus, if you're singing the song rather than playing it for them, you can turn most anything into a lullaby. Have fun with it!

Toddler Anxiety

2016-03-28T19:01:00.003-07:00

I've been "keepin' it real" lately by trying to avoid anxiety attacks caused by my ~~teenager~~ toddler. You thought this post was going to be about my toddler having anxiety attacks? Wrong. Sort of. We're both suffering right now. Ops. normal, I'm told. Having an emphasis on early childhood development with my major has been enlightening on my motherhood journey, but it doesn't make it any less exhausting or stress-inducing or anxiety-attack-causing.

I have probably never woken up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Seriously. In high school I was part of a choir that started meeting up prior to school hours in order to perfect our performances during competition season. People started referring to me as 'Grumpy Since '87.' The idea of t-shirts was bandied about. Mornings are never kind to me. But even if I hated everything except breakfast until 9am, at least I didn't regularly look like death. Now, I look like death, and I have two little beings relying on me to not act like death. It's a tough act to perform since they're the ones that have brought about the permanent shadows, the bloodshot eyes, the hunched back, the desire to burrow into the ground and hibernate.

The toddler has been more trying than usual. A friend of mine told me it's the year of the 'threenager.' Three is way harder than two. Terrible two's were just a bit surprising because a more obstinate side of my angel child appeared, but three is when they decide to be belligerent and defiant. The testing period. All of my research and perfect test scores could not prepare me for how emotionally and mentally draining it is to deal with it on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute basis. The emotional and mental draining then drains my physical well-being as well. Don't believe me? Take a look at my gut. It tells the tale of a woman who is so done with life by 7pm that she settles onto the couch with as many comfort foods as she can find and won't budge until it's time to move to bed.

The other day was filled with test after test after test from my 'threenager.' He, of course, picked the worst day. I was at my limit with a teething baby that was fussing up a storm, shoulders bearing the weight of a couple of life disappointments, and the burden of trying to balance working from home with being a full-time mom. I finally went through the roof when my son shut the door on the baby's fingers, while looking me in the eye, right after I had told him to watch out for his sister's fingers.

I yelled. I might have even raged. The effect on my boy? None. My son might have even laughed, but I was not laughing. Now, not only was I enraged, I was sorrowful. Sorrowful that I had let myself get to such a point, sorrowful that my son was so used to seeing me upset that it didn't phase him, and sorrowful that I had allowed it to become a norm. What did I look like through my sons eyes? At this moment, definitely not beautiful, probably not someone to love and guide him, and most likely not someone he would want to get to know better or be able to trust.

Did he need to behave better? Yes. Did I need to behave better? Undoubtedly, yes.

I looked into my son's eyes to see what answers he could offer me about our current situation, and it was as though I read a monologue in those beautiful, blue eyes. I went and curled up in a ball on my bed as I thought through what I saw. It went something like this (please allow for my mom imperfections to be made manifest as I attempt to write what I saw):

"Mom, I'm only three years old. I have a small body, and sometimes I experience very large emotions that don't seem to fit. More often than not, I don't even know what the emotion is called. The only way I feel better is by doing something about it, and I don't usually know what to do, so I act out. I need you to teach me. I need you to help me understand what is happening and what my choices are. I don't always understand your words, so it's best to show me what to do and let me follow your example.

The world is big, Mom. I'm trusting you to prepare me for it so that I can be successful, so that I can celebrate the good, and so I can be well-armed against the bad. Will you please protect me until I am able to protect myself? Will you teach me right from wrong and love me even when I make choices that aren't good? If I can't trust you to love me, who can I trust? You have my heart, Mommy, please take care of it."

I began to re-realize how much this little being is relying on me to be his guide until he's old enough to take on the world by himself. If I was going to lose it on him when he acted the way most people would expect a three-year-old to act at some point, why would he come to me with anything huge in life? Wouldn't he have learned from my actions that I would go ballistic? I need to pull myself together, is the moral of this story. No more anxiety attacks or moments of lunacy caused by my toddler acting as a toddler.

I will continue to teach him to improve his behavior, and I will continue to teach myself to improve my own. Some goals:

Be sure to get a break now and again - a burned out mommy is pretty useless and more prone to anxiety attacks and lashing out.
Take a deep breath and craft my response intentionally instead of releasing the inner storm when I have been pushed to my limits.
Remember that mommy time outs are completely valid and should be used.

I'm not going to pretend that I'm never going to ever yell at my kids again because that's unrealistic, and I don't live a Pinterest life of perfection, but I am going to be honest and say that I'm going to do my darndest to improve and will get back up in the saddle every time I fall off the horse. I'm not going to pretend that I've solved the ancient mystery of parenting, but I am going to say I think I've come a bit closer to solving my personal mystery on how to make it work for me and my son. I hope that if anybody else out there is struggling with toddler anxiety they know that they're not alone, and I hope that very much because I do often feel alone in this, and it stinks.

Things I Learned:

1) Children are always forgiving when they are young.

2) I am not super mom.

3) I need more sleep.

4) It will kill me if my children have 'ugly' memories of me

FHE - Lying vs. Telling the Truth

2016-03-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

My toddler has been struggling with lying lately, and it's been difficult because we can tell he can't quite grasp what a lie is or why it is important. We did this little Family Home Evening with him, and it seems to have helped a bit. He's been more curious about understanding and has actively been using the vocabulary we taught him. Since I could not find a lesson already created and shared for this purpose, I thought I would do it. Hopefully somebody out there gets some use out of this.

Learning About Lying vs. Telling the Truth

Song: I Believe in Being Honest, Children's Songbook, Pg. 149

Scripture: Isaiah 63:8 - "For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour."

Lesson:

After sharing the scripture, share with children that Heavenly Father has asked us to be honest, to tell the truth.
It is important to tell the truth so that others know they can trust us.

What is trust? Trust is being able to believe in someone.
Invite the children to jump off of something, or fall backwards, into your arms. Let them know they did this because they trusted you; they believed that you would catch them.
Share this story from the January 2012 edition of The Friend

Explain how important it is that we are able to trust them, and that we will do so if they will always tell the truth.
Sometimes it's hard to understand what a lie is, let's practice with the below activity.

Activity: Print out the happy and sad faces and attach them to popsicle sticks (or back to back on a single popsicle stick). (Note: If your children are old enough to read you could write the words 'Truth' and 'Lie' down instead of printing out the faces.) Tell your children things that are true or false and have them hold up the faces accordingly - frowny face for lies since they make us and Heavenly Father sad, happy face for truths since they make us and Heavenly Father happy. Allow everybody in the family to take turns with the faces and have chances to make statements. Start with obvious ones so children can begin to understand the concept of lying vs. telling the truth. (Ex: I have two noses - lie. I have blue eyes - truth.)

Closing: Explain that it can take practice to understand, but that your relationships are stronger and full of trust when you tell the truth, and that Heavenly Father approves.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE TRUTH VS LIE PRINTABLE

Things I Learned:
1) Teaching what a lie is can be very complicated.
2) Anything that allows for jumping during FHE is an instant hit.
3) The frowny/smiley face activity is a great reinforcer throughout the week.

TV: When Calls the Heart

2016-02-01T10:13:00.002-08:00

So, has anybody else been crushing on a certain Canadian Mountie these days? No? Just me? Well, let me help you change your mind.

A while back I was given a list of the best period pieces to watch on Netflix, and When Calls the Heart was listed as one of them. My sister-in-law gave it a green light, so, I settled down for a nice binge session while my husband was out of town.

The Dish:
1) Some of the acting is bleh and cheesy.
2) I'm not sure how believable the hair and clothing styles are...I'm no authority on 1910s fashions, but they don't quite seem right to me every once in awhile.
3) Did I mention the cheese?

I still got hooked. I happily finished the first season and eagerly waited to see what mischief would wait for the love birds in the future. I was not disappointed.

The characters (old and new) in the second season are so much more enjoyable (except for one, but I'll keep that opinion to myself...for now)! I love the way they go more in-depth into the characters' background and the way they really round them out. Some of the new faces are very fun, and I was interested in every story line being told (except for one...related to that one up there...that I'm keeping to myself for now).

But, you guys, the cliff hanger at the end of this season is almost too much to bear. Everything was going hunky-dory, and then Charles shows up. Dang you, Charles. Poor Jack. Poor Elizabeth. Are you completely lost right now? Let me educate you:

This is Elizabeth. She begins it all.

Trying to figure out her place in life, this big city girl from a wealthy family finds herself in the world of the rough frontier. She feels the need to prove that she's more than her privileged upbringing and finds herself in all sorts of scrapes and experiencing a lot of growth.

This is Jack. He steals your heart.

He was reassigned from a big assignment to Coal Valley in order to ensure peacekeeping - is it a coincidence that a Mountie presence is suddenly required at the same time a prominent society figure's daughter arrives? No. Que awkward tension. Still, a little bit of pride, and a lot of endearing acts make an impression.

This is Charles. He messes it all up.

Elizabeth's childhood friend with everything to recommend him. You really can't help but like him, but how dare he? His presence makes you feel badly for all three of them.

Are you more confused than before? Possibly. Have I prompted you to watch a heartfelt cheese-fest? Absolutely.

Have fun!

Things I Learned:
1) I'm still a hopeless romantic.
2) Love triangles are the devil.
3) I might have a chance at an acting career on the Hallmark channel.

Books: 2015 Reads

2016-01-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

So, I did a terrible job of tracking the books I read throughout 2015. Seriously, I only noted two, and I can't recall the rest because 'mom brain.' Here are my thoughts on the two books that I did note...

Swiss Family Robinson

Johann Wyss

Um, funny and also boring. Also educational. I didn't love it, but I would probably read it out loud to my kids someday. It was interesting to read about their adventures, but it also felt like it was the same story over and over again just with different foods or animals. The movie is definitely much more exciting. Plus, Fritz is a hunk.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Laura Hillenbrand

I don't even know where to start on this one. It made me laugh, it made me angry, it made me want to cry. I tend to be very sensitive to true war stories; they make me feel sick and upset more often than not. I did experience that with this book, but not to the degree that I was unable to finish it.

Ultimately, the book is uplifting. It truly is amazing to see what Louis and fellow POWs survived, and to see that some of them made it through with their characters in tact, even though the wounds received, in every aspect, left permanent scars. It's when I'm trying to write about books like Unbroken that I curse myself for not being more eloquent. I am sure there is a wonderful book review out there somewhere that can convince you to read this book.

The funny thing about this, is that out of all the material in that book, what stuck with me the most was that Louis Zamperini learned to skateboard in his 70s. I'm in my late 20s, and I have days where I am convinced that I'll never be better than I am at any skill I've wanted to have because I'm too old. I'm past my prime for learning to be good at something. Not true. If a 70-something can hop on a skateboard and succeed, I can achieve my ballroom-dancing-master-baking-DIY-ing dreams. Thank you for teaching me a life lesson amongst other things, Louis. You're a hero.