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The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing. But in our culture, we apply for a curse and reject a blessing.
Something is terribly wrong with this picture.
~Doug Phillips, Vision Forum Ministries
Reverance
Reverence is a very important thing for children to learn. I have included an article from Friend about reverent activites
that children can do on Sundays. We are the best or worst teachers of reverence. What we do is being watched by children,
and they are learning through example.
On Sundays, we must also be reverent. Have church clothes ready, children bathed, and a simple breakfast. Have the house
clean and car well fueled. That means going to the restroom and getting drinks before church. Don't rifle through your purse
or bag, or do other things during sacrament. Kids will fidget and get bored if they see you are doing so. Don't talk during
sacrament, or keep looking at your cell phone or watch. Sit still, be patient, and enjoy the Lord's spirit. Take sacrament
with a quite spirit and with a contemplative heart. Be early, or at least on time, to all your meetings. After sacrament,
don't speak loudly in the chapel or halls. Be to your classes on time as well. Be prepared with scriptures, class materials
and everything you need for church.
Children will learn best by example. Consistent correction and loving discipline will help your children be reverent.
Have family home evenings were reverence is expected. Remind them what reverence means.
“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, …
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.”
—Exodus 20:8–11 [Ex. 20:8–11]
Sunday is a day that is different from any other day of the week. Reverence in our thoughts and actions should be shown
on this day.
It’s a clean day—
Our shoes are shined.
Our clothes are clean.
Our hair
is combed.
It’s a happy day—
We spend it with our family.
We see our friends at church.
We
smile.
It’s a reverent day—
We go to Sunday School and
sacrament meeting. We are
reverent
in our Heavenly
Father’s house. We learn
about Jesus Christ and our
Heavenly Father.
And even at home we do
quiet, reverent things.
Because Sunday should be a day of worship and rest, we don’t do many of the things we do on other days. Make your
own list of different things you might do on Sunday. Here are some suggested activities:
Visit a neighbor.
Read and act out a parable or other story from the scriptures.
Go for a walk.
Write and illustrate a letter to a missionary or someone you know.
Call your grandma and grandpa to say how much you love them.
Read one or more chapters from the scriptures.
Make a puzzle from a picture in a magazine everyone in the family has read.
Count or write down all the beautiful things you can see or think of that our Heavenly Father has given to us.
Ask your mother, father, or grandparents to tell you about their lives when they were children.
Using a brown paper bag, make a puppet of a biblical character.
Draw a picture of three of your blessings.
Do a secret good deed for someone.
Make a centerpiece for the table.
Work on your My Own Story from directions in the August (1976) Friend.
Memorize the words to a favorite hymn or poem.
Read a story from the Friend.
Ask your mother if you may invite a friend for lunch or supper.
Learn about your ancestors and fill out a genealogy sheet.
Read a book.
Read and act out a parable or other story from the scriptures.
Decorate a small box, jar, or suitable container with crayons, colored markers, yarn, paper, or lace. Then cut your list
into separate pieces with an activity on each one and place in your Sunday Box.
Every Sunday choose an idea from your box and you will know just what to do to have a reverent and happy day.
[illustration] Illustrated by Ron Eddington
I have searched the internet and found some good websites for kids. All of them are made for kids to navigate by themselves,
with games and other activities. Some of them have coloring pages and such you can print off.
PBS http://pbskids.org
FEMA http://ready.gov/kids
Scholastic http://scholastic.com/kids
Nasa http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov
National Geographiv http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
All these sites are generally appropriate for children, but every parent has different limits. Please check these sites
before your children visit them.
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