This lesson is entitled "Bringing Up Children in Light and Truth". I'm having a bit more difficulty with this lesson than most I teach. I go to church in a congregation of LDS Single Adults. All of us are under 31, but all of us are also unmarried, with no children. Here are my ideas so far:
- "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" states, "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. . . . Extended families should lend support when needed." In my ward, or congregation, each of us likely have some interaction with children. I could have everyone think of one child they could have a good influence on and try to apply our lesson to their relationship with that child.
- Pres. Smith tells a story of two young boys who each work on a farm and go into town. One father asks his son to complete all his chores, then let's him go. This son arrives in town after dark and ends up experiencing the rough side of town. The other father helps his son complete his chores and then takes him into town. He introduces his son to his acquaintances there and this boy develops relationships that will be healthy and wholesome as he grows. I like this story, I thought we might discuss our responsibilities and the way we fulfill them.
- In the section titled "By loving and teaching our youth, we can help safeguard them from evil." he says, "Let us teach our children to be pure in their lives, to be upright. Teach your boys to safeguard the virtue of their sisters and their girl companions. Teach your daughters to safeguard the virtue of the boys they associate with." We can discuss the idea of helping those around you to make good choices, how we can help others keep the commandments and avoid temptation.
- Under the section in the lesson titled "Parents have the primary responsibility to teach their children the gospel." Pres. Smith says, "Nobody else can perform the part that God has assigned to us". We could discuss the responsibilities we have and somehow recognize that our efforts are necessary and unique.
- I don't know if I'll share this idea or not, but I keep thinking about it. There's a reason the people in my ward aren't married yet. There's a reason we don't have children. It's likely different for everyone. There are so many good people in my ward that would make great parents, there's got to be a reason. Some of us may not have met the right person, some of us may have more to learn, some of us may just be stubborn, most of us probably have something important to do until we have our own families. Whatever the reason is that we haven't started our own families—whether it's our fault or not—there's a place for us in the world. A work God needs and wants us to do. Something each of us can do better than anyone else available, and a work that will likely only be available to us in this time of our lives. We don't need to stress out about what that is, we should try to find out how we can be better and do it better. But, we don't need to freak out about it, because by being obedient, by praying, and by trying to do our very best, God will lead us to those tasks he has for us.
- In the final section, Pres. Smith reminds families to conduct Home Evenings. I thought we could talk about the importance of us attending our ward's Home Evenings—we have them together as many of us don't live with family. Also, I thought it might be good to discuss how we're setting patterns in our lives.
Like I said, I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out what to share in my lesson. If you've got ideas about adapting this topic to my ward, feel free to comment. I'll have about 30–40 minutes to teach.
2 comments:
I think that the idea of thinking of one or more children we can influence for the best, even if we aren't currently parents, is really good. I think you could also have people focus on the good things that their parents did with them when they were [hopefully] raised in righteousness. To ponder on the good things, throw away the bad, and improve on what they've already been taught, for their own personal growth, as well as prepping themselves for the day when they'll be teaching children themselves, as parents or otherwise. You could go the humorous side and pretended you're all children still, and talk about what do you still need to be taught. Or on a related note, maybe talking about people who are "children" in the gospel: very new to the ideas that need a "parent" to guide them along. Those are my two cents for you. Good luck!
Rachel,
Thanks for contacting me! I'm honored that you thought of me!
I also like the idea of thinking of specific children people have influence with, even though they may not be their own. I think it would also be good to talk about being intentional with those relationships. If the kids are young, it may mean volunteering to babysit on a regular basis so that you are a constant presence in their lives and earning their trust and respect; for older kids it may mean taking them out for dinner or spending time with them in some way outside of the time you spend with their parents.
Another thing I think is really important when talking about teaching children is media literacy. I'm a big fan of teaching children how to evaluate media rather than avoid it, mostly because avoiding it is becoming more and more impossible. Engaging with and evaluating the merits of culture seem to be more effective ways of encouraging kids to make wise choices about what they consume than having lists of things that are "good" and things that are "bad."
Finally, I really love the following article about talking to little girls. When I read it, it became so obvious to me and completely changed the way I talk to my friends' daughters. Not sure how applicable it would be for you, but it's a good read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html
Hope this was helpful to you!
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